According to mythology, Vaalmiki was a thief who mended his ways and then went on to write Ramayana, one of the best-known epics in Hinduism. The aptly-named Vaalmiki traces a similar character arc in the life of its protagonist. While the characters of the hero and the other pricipal characters in his life aren't etched with great depth or consistency, they are different enough to extract something new from an otherwise familiar story.

Pandi(Akil) is working at Vaalmiki, an organization that reforms petty criminals. Seeing the chain that their latest addition has stolen takes him on a walk down memory lane. Pandi was a petty thief who lived off of pawning things he stole from unsuspecting passers-by. When Vandana(Meera Nandan), who ran a nursery, was attacked by a mentally retarded man who she tried to help, Pandi saw it as an opportunity to steal her chain and helped her. But Vandana saw him as her savior and her liking gradually turned into love. Meanwhile Pandi was provided a place to stay by Kanaga(Devika), a flower-seller and she began to fall for him too.

Vaalmiki is at heart a love triangle but forms the triangle using characters who are not very common in Tamil cinema romances. Nice girls falling for bad boys is not exactly new in Tamil cinema where our heroines have a long tradition of falling for rowdies but Akhil's non-heroic rawness and Meera's good-naturedness offer a nice contrast. Devika initially comes off looking like the traditional loser destined for unfulfilled love but she proves to be someone who sees things for what they are and is very pragmatic about her choices in life.

But the contrast between the characters of Akhil and Meera is also the main reason why their relationship doesn't work too well. While Meera's gratitude to Akhil is understandable considering their first meeting, their subsequent encounters don't validate the growth of those feelings to love, especially when those encounters include episodes like the drama the nursery kids put on. Luckily, this phase is quite short-lived and their relationship turns unique once she finds out the truth about him. As she doggedly follows him and sabotages his work and he tries to understand his conflicting feelings towards her, their dilemmas are portrayed well and their encounters sparkle.

Since the film's story is a flashback, the path it takes is quite predictable, especially since the plot points the director uses to move things forward(like the incident that reforms Akhil) are telegraphed in a predictable manner earlier. Still, the final incident that links the past and the present comes as a small surprise and provides closure in a touching way.

For a debutant, director Ananthanarayanan displays confidence and individuality behind the camera here. Whether a keen observation of everyday behavior(like the way a passer-by records the proceedings on his cellphone when Meera is attacked) or nice visual touches(like the poster Akhil uses to put a makeshift roof over Devika's bathroom), he displays a knack for capturing moments that makes us take notice and smile.

Akhil, the hero in Kalloori, is a bit raw around the edges still but but fits the bill when it comes to looking and acting rough. Meera Nandan looks sweet and fits the role of a girl who is kind-hearted and good to everybody. Devika gains our sympathy as she pines for Akhil. Ilaiyaraja's songs sound old-fashioned but two of the numbers are melodious and pleasing.