Bumper

"Bumper" is a 2023 Tamil-language comedy thriller film directed and written by M. Selvakumar. It is produced by S. Thiagaraja and T. Anandajothi under the Vetha Pictures banner. The film stars Vetri in the lead, with Shivani Narayanan and Hareesh Peradi playing key roles.

"Pulipandi" (Vetri) is a poor, money-crazy youth who feels that prosperity is the one aim of life. He goes so far as to break the principles of moral uprightness while attempting to achieve money quickly, including proposing crooked notions even to his mother. Alongside friends, he becomes erroneously connected to the assassination of a politician. In a desperate effort to keep from being in the way and be in safe possession, the clique embarks upon a pilgrimage of holiness towards Sabarimala.

On this trip, Pulipandi purchases a lottery ticket from an honest and kind-hearted lottery vendor (Hareesh Peradi) in Kerala. Having no idea about its worth, he soon loses the ticket. Ironically, this same ticket is the jackpot-winning ticket. The honest seller takes upon himself to trace Pulipandi and return the ticket, triggering a series of events challenging values of honesty, trust, and change. The rest of the narrative follows how Pulipandi's life turns after this event and whether the temptation of money still dominates his actions or takes him to the path of redemption.

"Bumper" tells us about how a mere act of truth can lead to unexpected turns in an individual's life. While the second half of the movie has some inevitable moments and the tempo slows down, the director delivers a heartfelt story. Supported by genuine performances, particularly from Vetri and Hareesh Peradi, the movie leaves a good impression with its core message of honesty and self-discovery.