For a film set in a period when the Indian freedom movement was at its peak, Kanchivaram focuses on a very different subject as compared to most other films that have been made based on the period. Showcasing the impoverished existence of the extremely skilled silk weavers of Kanchivaram, the moving force of the film is the irony that the very hands that weave the fine silk cannot even dream of owning it. The moving performances of Prakash Raj and Shriya Reddy are the highlights of this sensitively made portrayal of the unrewarding drudgery faced by an illiterate craftsman.