Hi all,

We’ve seen many films based on rural backdrops before but Azhagarsamiyin Kudhirai surely stands out from the rest. It is really heartening to see a film which comes as a whiff of fresh air amidst countless commercial potboilers. The movie displays a beautiful and unexplored bonding between a man and his horse.

The movie is set in the year 1982 in a village called Mallayapuram. The village is affected by severe drought for the past three years. Villagers believe that it is due to non-happening of their village festival in which they place the God’s statue on a wooden horse and move around the village. When they decide to conduct the festival, they’re left shell-shocked as they find that the wooden horse is missing. Soon, a real horse comes to their village and all good things start to happen. The villagers believe that it is the wooden horse that has come alive. Meanwhile, Azhagarsamy (Appukutty) reaches the village and claims that it is his lost horse. His marriage with Rani (Saranya Mohan) is at stake as his horse is his only source of income. But, villagers are unwilling to part with the horse which has brought them good luck. The rest of the story is about how he gets back his horse and whether the village festival takes place or not. 

Appukutty as Azhagarsamy is simply brilliant. He has known his limitations well and has given a very subtle performance. Saranya Mohan is impressive although her role seems like a cameo. Prabhakaran as President’s son has given a neat performance as an atheist. The entire supporting cast has good screen presence and all have essayed their respective roles skillfully. 

Director Suseenthiran must be given due credit for choosing a path which is less travelled by others. It really needs guts to make an offbeat film like this,which mainly revolves around a man and his love for his horse. He has used the lesser known actors to perfection. Maestro Ilayaraja’s music adds nativity and life to the visuals. Among songs, “Kuthikkira Kuthikkira” is mesmerizing and Theni Eashwar’s cinematography is laudable. Not to forget, the movie is based on the short story penned by writer Bhaskar Sakthi.

Azhagarsamiyin Kudhirai is a heart-warming rural tale sans artificiality. A must watch for the ‘real’ movie lovers.