Bhagyaraj's comeback film is a welcome relief for a Tamil audience battered by a flurry of gangster movies. Devoid of violence or vulgarity, Parijatham shows that the director has adapted to a new style of filmmaking.
Sumathi (Saranya) works as a maidservant for Seetha (Seetha ) in her bungalow. Sumathi's father (Sarath Babu) was the former owner who had to sell the house due to debt. Predictably, Seetha takes a liking to Sumathi and decides she is the right bride for her son Surendar (Prithiviraj) who is staying with his father (Prakashraj) in another city. Seetha keeps the identity of the bride from her husband and son, but when she dies after a fall from a ladder, the father-son duo has no clue about the mystery girl. Sumathi keeps mum as she assumes Surendar might think she is taking him for a ride. Dad tries to hoodwink his son and get her to marry a rich girl. At this juncture comes Sampoorrnam (Bhagyaraj), an old friend of Surendar, who also joins in the hunt for the mystery girl. How the truth is unravelled forms the climax.
The first half is interesting and hilarious. The second half starts sliding when Bhagyaraj enters and, in his inimitable way, tries to take over the proceedings. That is the main negative aspect of the film.
On the plus side, Prithiviraj and Saranya give good performances. Prithiviraj, who has acted as the happy-go-lucky guy in many Malayalam films, is completely at ease. Saranya's acting and her looks remind you of her mother Poornima. She rises to the occasion when she gets to perform, aided by a good script. She emotes very well and steals the show. She will go a long way if she loses a little weight. Prakashraj, for a change, does not ham his way through.
Technically, the film is above average. Good visuals (from cinematographers A Venkatesh and S Kumar), trendy music (from debutant Tharan) and good choreography are the plus points.
On the downside, the director relies heavily on dialogues. Devoid of fizz, the film may appeal only to the 40-plus audience. Whether Bhagyaraj can bring in couch potatoes to theatres remains to be seen.
Rediff Rating: 
