The Sarathkumar-K.S.Ravikumar duo has been one of the more longstanding and usually profitable combinations in Tamil cinema. While most of their earlier ventures like Cheran Pandiyan, Naattaamai and Natpukkaaga, had been village oriented movies with similar storylines(revolving around village biggies, their families and romance between the young ones), they have recently branched out into other themes. Their last union Samudhiram focussed on the affection between brothers and their sister and this time around, their movie is more of a character study focussing on one man who improves the life of those around him.

Durairaj(Sarathkumar) is a lorry driver and Jayaram(Jayaram) is his loquacious driver. Though hard and bitter on the surface, Durairaj has a soft heart and cares about Jayaram, whose dream is to save enough money to provide a better life for his family back in the village. Jayaram dies in an unfortunate accident and Durairaj goes to the village to convey the tragic news. But the sad condition of Jayaram's wife Mallika(Meena) and daughter convinces him stay on and try to make Jayaram's dreams for his family come true. Vasantha(Ramya Krishnan), a teastall owner, falls for Durairaj while his activities make him cross swords with the village biggie(Vijayan) and his son(Mansur Ali Khan).

The movie revolves around the title character who is a rock but with softness inside nevertheless. So having a strong protagonist was important to keep the movie afloat and K.S.Ravikumar has succeeded in this. Sarathkumar's Durairaj is a well-defined character. The "rough guy with a heart of gold" is a stock character in Tamil cinema but KSR manages to make Sarathkumar stand out here. He rarely opens his mouth to talk and when he does, it is usually short but direct. There are no fights but his actions speak louder than his words.

The characters of the two women in his life are nicely developed also. The ever-shouting Ramya Krishnan is his exact opposite but the constant presence of leering villagers in her teastall make her tirades understandable. Meena, because of her situation, is naturally more subdued but the relationship between her and Sarathkumar is one of the highpoints of the movie. Vadivukkarasi's subtle hints about beginning a new life and her reactions are natural and the way the whole issue is resolved is strong.

Jayaram's initial talkativeness and Ramya Krishnan's verbal outbursts make us chuckle but unfortunately, the laughs are minimal when the movie actually switches to its comedy track. The comedy revolves around Ramesh Khanna, a barber, and Chittibabu, a petty thief, but the situations are rarely, if ever, funny.

The role of the strong and silent lorry driver fits Sarathkumar like a glove and he carries it off impressively. The bloodshot eyes and perennial beedi are nice additions. Ramya Krishnan evokes smiles as the motormouth while Meena earns our sympathy without resorting to loud sentimental outpourings. Jayaram expresses his character's enthusiasm for life and its jolly nature quite well and his quick departure does come as a shock. Vijayan is mostly dignified while Mansur Ali Khan occassionally becomes part of the comedy with his attempts at wooing Ramya. Among the supporting characters, the crippled old man make us take notice.