When guns and gore are all the rage in cinema these days, a film like director Prem Kumar’s Miyajhagan rarely becomes a topic of discussion and gets packed with audiences. While director Prem Kumar’s 96 was a film about unrequited love, his next film Miyajhagan is a film about many things. There is a man who gives and gives without any expectations and there is a man who forces himself not to be on the receiving end. But, when he starts doing so, it leads him on a path of self-discovery.

Arul Mozhi (Arvind Swamy) and his family are forced to sell their shares in the family home and relocate to Madras. The family home shapes Mozhi’s life and character. And when he goes to Madras, he undergoes a complete transformation. At the age of about 40, he gets an opportunity to visit his village, Needamangalam, to attend the wedding of his favorite cousin.

While Mozhi is planning to just ‘show his face’ at the reception, he meets his relative, whom he cannot remember. However, the relative (Karthi) knows everything about Arul. At first, he hates her company, gives her a wrong number and does everything to get her to leave. But, Karthi’s character is not someone you can let go. Instead, he catches on. The rest of the film is about their bromance and Mozhi’s journey of self-discovery.

Director Prem Kumar is one filmmaker from Tamil cinema who knows how to make sweet things beautiful. While there were stolen glances from Trisha and Vijay Sethupathi in 96, there were moments of silence between Karthi and Arvind Swami in Miyazhagan.

Mozhi’s leaving his family home overnight affects his core personality. And she needs a character like Karthi to remind her of her smile.

Here is the trailer:

Karthi’s character starts off as his know-it-all relative, who doesn’t know when and how to keep quiet. But, as time progresses, he becomes one of the most lovable characters thanks to his charm, intelligence and innocence. Once Arvind Swami started getting Karthi’s love, his mood changed. He tells his wife Hema (Devadarshini), “I don’t know how anyone can live like this, or that everyone should live like this.” Karthi has played a character who knows no boundaries. But, he is also the one who teaches Mozhi not to hold on to his past.

The first half of Miyazhagan will keep you on the edge of your seats, but the second half distracts you. The main conflict in the film is so simple that it becomes boring after a point in the second half. Both characters talk about Jallikattu, the Sterlite incident and the Sri Lankan civil war. While these themes really highlight Karthi’s big heart, it also makes you sympathize with him as everything affects him. However, they also (somewhat) bring down the highs that the first part had created.

Miazhagan has many moments that touch your heart. Although it becomes tiresome towards the end, it works mainly because of the stellar performances of Karthi and Arvind Swamy. Govind Vasanth’s music adds to the mood of the film very well.

Director Prem Kumar’s Miyajhagan is a film that refreshes your memory and also makes you believe in goodness. A film with such positivity can’t do any harm to a world at war, right?