“Lal Salaam” is a Tamil action sports film directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth, stars Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth in the lead, with Rajinikanth in a special appearance. The movie is about cricket, communal conflict, and the path towards harmony.
“Thiru and Shamsuddin” are two cricketing prodigies from Murarbad, a village where Hindus and Muslims live in harmony. Although they were childhood rivals, their families are good friends. But political forces attempt to make them use their differences to instigate communal unrest ahead of the polls. “Raj”, a local politician's son, manipulates their rivalry to have a fiery cricket match in which Thiru hurts Shamsuddin's hand. The incident leads to a serious confrontation between the two communities and converts the hitherto harmonious village into a war zone.
Thiru is left alone by his people and community but pursued by the men of Shamsuddin. He seeks atonement by playing cricket in villages close to home, raising money to repair the village temple cart. His travels bring him to Bombay, where he saves Shamsuddin inadvertently in another religious conflict, repairing their severed relationship.
“Mohideen”, Shamsuddin's father, observes Thiru's genuineness and contributes to the funding of the temple cart, but Raj, with jealousy, sabotages it. It is finally revealed that Raj masterminded the whole feud, even making Shamsuddin get injured. His pregnant wife compels him to submit, ending his machinations. Ultimately, Murarbad's settlements unite, ending the turmoil and celebrating their festival as one.
Though “Lal Salaam” has a potent message of harmony, it occasionally lapses into cliche storytelling. The emotional moments of the film are powerful, and the cricket action is thrilling. The cameo of Rajinikanth brings in star power, but the film otherwise depends upon its central message of redemption and harmony.