learn even their restroom breaks are restricted to some measly minutes and failure to return will make them lose their salary; you tend to smile with the characters at the simple pleasures in their miserable existence (the happiness of Mahesh and his friend when they get transferred to the 3rd floor of the stores, because it is air-conditioned); the cruelty meted out at them by their floor supervisor makes your heart go out for them (the sexual molestation of the women and that they are hapless to do anything about it).

Vasantha Balan’s characters speak for themselves and the strength of characterization is one of the major plus points of Angadi Theru. Anjali’s inimitably brilliant performance leaves no eyes remain dry. She switches emotions in a flash, going from expressing her inability to protect herself from getting molested to forcing a smile on her face at the waiting customer, appearing to be normal. Director Venkatesh’s villainy gets to you as the movie progresses and when he’s beaten down by Mahesh, you inevitably say, ‘just as well’. He deserves it! Well if this is not the strength of characterization, what else is?

There are two types of applauses, one out of excitement at watching your favourite hero on the screen (which is more common among the fanatics, if you ask) and the other to congratulate the performance of the movie and its cast - which is very rarely conferred upon a movie these days. Although Vasantha Balan’s conviction about his script and Jaya Mohan’s razor edged dialogues leave a lump in your throat, you end up applauding for the movie’s tiniest merry moments.

So watch Angadi Theru for the sake of getting to know the lives of the unknown and for having been ignorant to the fact that their life is not as glossy as the stuff they sell at the stores. Above all watch it for Vasantha Balan – who lets the world know that there are only a few directors in the world who seek out for stories that need to be told and do it with an impossibly fervent grit.