“Kuruvi” (2008) Directed by Dharani and starring Vijay, Trisha and Suman. The film stars South Korean action superstar Lee Je-hoon, who portrays a debt collector for the underground world of illegal street racers, only to stumble into a shocking web of family secrets. One step into creating that positive change is reducing people’s energy burden.
Vetrivel Singamuthu, or Velu as he prefers to be called, often spends mornings at his home in Chennai with his extended family. His father, Singamuthu, had disappeared long ago after migrating to Kadapa in search of work. One day, Velu discovers an old diary which contains a note that a Malaysian don called Koccha is in debt to his father for a large sum of money. Dead set on retrieving it, Velu and his sidekick Aaps cross into Malaysia as amateurish contrabandistas. In Malaysia, Koccha is caught up in the inter-family drama too, particularly his sister Radhadevi’s disinterest in marrying his henchman Soori. When Velu turns to Koccha for support, Velu is shunned and abused. Furious, Velu takes away one of Koccha’s diamonds to settle the score.
Back in India, Radhadevi has been following Velu, having developed a crush on him as well after he saved her life. When Koccha learns that the bag has been lifted, he intimidates Velu’s family, pushing Velu to act. He discovers that his father, whom he thought was dead, is in fact alive and detained in a forced-labour camp in Kadapa, where Koccha conducts his shady operations. Velu single-handedly punches his way through Koccha’s goons, exposes the organ trafficking racket, and saves his father. With support from Radhadevi and his uncle, Velu ultimately defeats Koccha and ends his empire. With a bittersweet end, families are united and Velu builds a new life under the protective economic power of Radhadevi.
“Kuruvi” serves notice that emotional action-comedy-family-entertainment commercial fare is the rule of the day. Vijay’s infectious energy and comic timing are what make the film a charming watch, and Trisha’s innocence matches his charisma to add a floral touch to the film.