It has been a while since we saw Jithan Ramesh on screen, perhaps three years or more. Now, he is back with Pillayar Theru Kadaisi Veedu, a title that is long and good enough to arouse your curiosity. So, has Jithan Ramesh’s long wait for the right opportunity borne fruit?

Pillayar Theru Kadaisi Veedu (PTKV) is constructed on a very simple premise. It revolves largely around a family, their hopes and aspirations for the future, a love story and an emotional twist close to the climax which is the high point of the film. It is the kind of film where destiny plays villain, instead of any one character being designated to do the cruel things. We do not get too many of these kinds of films nowadays and it is a pleasant throwback to the heydays of Vikraman and other similar directors who reveled in making thorough family subjects with lots of emotions.

PTKV remains simple and committed to the central plot throughout. There aren’t too many deviations or extraneous inclusions that you can talk of. Yes, there is a little bit of comedy that is attempted by Jithan Ramesh and his gang of friends led by the now famous Parotta Suri; and their attempts stop with being only mildly amusing, no great scope for laughter. It is plain sailing for most parts of the film with no great twists or turns until the director chooses to reveal his biggest card close to the climax. Though it is not something thunderous or spectacular, it will definitely surprise every viewer and is the high point of the film. All portions after this point are very emotional, offering Jithan Ramesh ample scope to perform which he has used well.

As said above, apart from the linear central plot, there is nothing else much to talk about in the film. Songs have been used only sparingly with the music being scored by Telugu composer Chakri; a couple of them sound and look good on screen. With the entire film being set in lush green sub-urban districts of Tamil Nadu, there are portions which offer a very gratifying visual experience, a good job of covering the landscape by the cameraman.

The film almost entirely belongs to Jithan Ramesh and he has used the opportunity well, emoting, dancing and fighting (only once) with commitment. One can perhaps call this a good comeback for the actor who had dawdled in below average scripts for a while. The film is also strengthened by the presence of seasoned character artistes like Ilavarasu, Jayaprakash and Prakash Raj (in a small cameo).

The director, Thirumalai Kishore must be commended for sticking strictly to the requirements of the plot and making the film straight from his heart. However, one feels that he could have explored ways of making the film feel more contemporary. He also leaves one or two loose ends, like Bose Venkat’s character which feels incomplete.

Overall PTKV is a movie that was intended to be simple and straight; about family, love and sentiments. It is not exactly the way in which contemporary cinema is made or liked, but if you still have the heart and patience for slow family dramas, then you might end up liking this one, for the simple reason that is does not try to overdo anything.

Verdict: Simple and straight family drama – for plain and patient viewing!