Considering the previous masala fare dished out by director-turned-actor Sundar.C, the fact that his latest film Aayudham Seivom starts off looking like the very non-masalaish Lage Raho Munnabhai, is a surprise. But the surprise doesn't last long. Abandoning all the aspects that made the Hindi original so fresh, unique and likeable, the director here soon turns Aayudham Seivom into a regular commercial film. While watching another crass commercial venture is in itself disappointing, the origin of this particular venture makes it particularly distressing.

'Saidai' Sathya is mechanic who also doubles as a rowdy, doing the usual dirty jobs for the highest bidder. During one of the instances when he becomes a public nuisance, a lawyer Udayamoorthy(Vijayakumar) takes him to court and Sathya, along with his partner-in-crime, traffic constable Kandasamy(Vivek), are ordered to stay at the Gandhi museum in Madurai. Back home after an unwilling stay, he is summoned by an ex-MLA VBR(Manivannan), who asks him to steal an incriminating file from Udhayamoorthy. But the job doesn't turn out as expected for Sathya.

Unlike Munnabhai, Aayudham Seivom plays the segment where Sundar and Vivek learn about Gandhi and his ideals, mainly for laughs. There are the occasional expressions of wonder from the duo as they understand what Gandhi did but for the most part, the film employs the 'fish out of water' scenario as the two, used to a life of laziness and crime, endure the strict rules in the museum. The situation is not unlike what Dhanush went through in Karthik's household in the recent Yaaradi Nee Mohini and so its not completely fresh but there are a few laughs, mostly from Vivek's comments. Sundar also gets a chance to romance Anjali during this time but even among the frequently unconvincing romances of masala films, this one is completely ridiculous as she falls for him after a couple of meetings that show him to be an ogler and a thief!

While Sundar learns about the importance of non-violence during his stint in the museum, the director shows us the importance of violence in the rest of the movie! The story settles into a familiar track once it gets back from Madurai, with familiar characters(a corrupt politician, an honest police officer, etc.) and cliched elements(a flashback to show us the crime, a CD that could serve as evidence, etc.). Based on the first segment where Sundar learns about Gandhian principles, there's no surprise about how the track is going to end either.

Even though we've resigned ourselves to the fact that this is just another masala film, Sundar's final tactic gives us the hope that the film would atleast end on a different note. But even that is not to be as the movie doesn't play by its own rules. An unnecessary fight sequence destroys the little seriousness the movie's climax had managed to create and renders everything that led upto it, completely redundant. The first segment had a fight sequence too but while that can be excused as a part of Sundar's character, this final fight sequence make both the movie's core idea and Sundar's grand plan meaningless.

Sundar has enough practice playing the rowdy but still looks uncomfortable in the heavier scenes. Anjali once again proves how limited the options are for our actresses. The actress was impressive in a strong role in Katradhu Thamizh but is wasted in an inconsequential and glamorous role here. Vivek is his usual self and saves the movie in most places. Nasser brings sincerity to his role as the sincere Gandhian while Napolean fits the role of the honest cop with a personal interest in the case.