Prince

“Prince” is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by K. V. Anudeep, co-written with Anand Narayanan and Mohan Saro, and produced by Sree Venkateswara Cinemas and Suresh Productions. The movie features Sivakarthikeyan, Maria Ryaboshapka, and Sathyaraj in the key roles.

Based in Pondicherry, the film tells the tale of "Anbu," (Sivakarthikeyan) a friendly and popular social science teacher hailing from a respected family. His father "Ulaganathan," who is a modern thinker, strongly believes in equality and is against traditional social norms. He wishes his son to tread the same path and lead without bringing about any social shame.

Anbu is smitten with "Jessica," (Maria Ryboshapka) a British-born English teacher at his school. She grew up in India and loves the culture, but her foreign presence invites criticism from the locals. Despite the odds, a beautiful romance begins to unfold between Anbu and Jessica.

But their affair is stalled when others in town begin creating tensions. Jessica's father, "Williams," faces property conflicts and discrimination. And Ulaganathan, who initially enjoys Jessica pretending to be French, is shocked to learn that she is British: an unpleasant reminder of his family's traumatic colonial history. A mistaken identity during a celebration makes the tensions mount, and a fight results in Anbu being ostracized by the villagers for a week.

Jessica attempts to bring peace by apologizing to Ulaganathan for the misdeeds of the British regime. This genuine act moves him and changes his heart. Later, Anbu makes a statement about selecting love and humanity over pride and hatred. The villagers see their error and accept both Anbu and Jessica back.

"Prince" is an offbeat film with a message of love transcending borders. While the humour is not even, the charm of Sivakarthikeyan and the offbeat approach of the film to nationalism, identity, and unity make it an entertaining and warm watch.