The plot involving two estranged brothers falls mostly flat as the events and feelings seem fictional.
Since the days of MGR, dual role stories, especially involving brothers, have attracted filmmakers and stars of Tamil cinema. Almost all the stars have done such roles. In Ashwin Ram’s debut film ‘Hiphop Tamizha’ etc. did this effort, anbarivu, in which he plays the role of separated twins, Anbu and Arivu.
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The trope of two similar-looking brothers has become kind of generic, as most such films stick to one template: the brothers are as chalk-and-cheese at the beginning but embrace their differences in the end. There have been some films like Kamal Haasan’s iconic Apoorva Sagodhargal (in which one of the brothers is a dwarf) and SJ Surya’s. Wally (in which one of the brothers is a psychopathic villain) which has changed this template.
anbarivu does not.
Anbu and Arivu grow up in Arasapuram (a fictional village) and Canada respectively. Adi tries to differentiate between the two characters through his speech and body language but not in a very subtle way. As Anbu, he moves his ‘pillars and masters’ around the people in rustic Madurai Tamil. As for Arivu, he speaks in a jarring, incoherent accent, which is unmistakably funny. like mgr Angle Veetu Pillai, one of the brothers (Ambu, in this case) is blessed with brute force and can defeat people, while his twin in Canada climbs over a well to avoid being chased by a bull. But Arivu is not completely meek either. He is brave enough to speak his mind and argue for what is right. He speaks morality in the film.
Separating from a 25-year-old feud involving his grandfather Muniandi (Napoleon), his mother Lakshmi (Asha Sharath), his father Prakasam (Sai Kumar), and his father’s aide friend, Pasupati (Vidartha), Arivu tries to unite his family. Comes out for ,
anbarivu
- the director: Ashwin Ram
- Mold: ‘Hiphop Tamizha’ Adi, Napoleon, Vidarth, Asha Sharath, and more
- Story:Two long-separated twins repair a family feud and village disharmony
- Run Time:165 minutes
Muniyadi is depicted as the overlord of Arsapuram and the neighboring village of Andiyapuram. Both the villages belong to the same constituency and Muniyadi is the person who decides who to become the MLA. But there is a clear caste politics at play, with the power-hungry Pasupati plotting a family feud.
When Arivu learns this after 25 years, he sets out to unite his family. But he soon realizes that in order to do so, he first needs to unite the two neighboring villages.
The film attempts to speak out against discrimination through its protagonists, especially Arivu. But just as Prakasam (from Aandiyapuram) is punished for his deeds, Muniyandi, who has been a casteist, gets his moment of liberation. He is depicted as a benevolent overlord who is redeemed by love.
Family drama mostly falls flat because the events and feelings are fictional. For example, on his 25th birthday, Arivu is shown feeding a piece of cake to a picture of his mother. Thankfully he doesn’t spill the cake all over the picture but the moment is bad. These scenes of hot melodrama are also drawn. The songs and action sequences also do not help in the motive of the film.
‘Anabarivu’ streaming on Disney+ Hotstar
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