Though director Vijay has stuck to remakes so far, he has managed to depict the relationships in his movies in a convincing manner, whether its romance between the leads(Madharasapattinam) or affection between a father and son(Kireedam). That ability stands him in good stead in his latest film Deiva Thirumagal, which revolves around the bond between a mentally underdeveloped man and his daughter. The emotional nature of the relationship makes us overlook the weaknesses in the other aspects of the film.

Krishna(Vikram), a man with the mental development of a 5-year-old, is himself a dad to a 5-year-old girl Nila(Baby Sara). Helped by his friends and well-wishers, he has brought Nila up alone since his wife died after giving birth to her. But his father-in-law Rajendran(Sachin Khedkar) and his sister-in-law Shwetha(Amala Paul), who were in the dark so far about Krishna's whereabouts, snatch Nila away. Landing up in court while looking for Nila, Krishna runs into a newly-minted lawyer Anuradha(Anushka), who takes it upon herself to help Krishna regain custody of Nila.

The relationship between Vikram and Sara has enough heart to uplift the movie as his innocence and her cuteness make a potent combination. Since both of them are children at heart, theirs is a love that is pure and untainted(as shown beautifully in the scene where Vikram comes home after looking for Sara. He is relieved and she is angry but it takes just seconds for her anger to vanish and the conversation to go in a different direction). So it is easy to believe as the love breaks down barriers and turns enemies into believers. Once Sara is taken by Sachin Khedkar, her communication with Vikram is fully non-verbal but both the small moments(like their communication during the rain) and the grand scenes(like their interaction during in the court) work very well and touch our hearts.

The plot point that the film is based on - a woman marries a mentally underdeveloped man and begets a child - is somewhat creepy. Also, when it comes to raising a child, the first few years are arguably the toughest with the baby requiring the utmost care and attention and the slightest carelessness capable of resulting in great tragedy. The film disposes off Sara's first five years with Vikram in a song, barely giving us an idea of what the two of them went through. Such things make it easier to root for Vikram(scenes of the baby in peril because of Vikram being ill-equipped to care for her would have made us side with his in-laws) but they also make it clear that the film doesn't mind glossing over specifics to focus on what it considers important. In that way it is more a fable than a drama.

Sadness can easily turn melodramatic but the goodness of one's heart always manages to reach out and touch us. The film stays positive by focusing on that goodness. So Vikram's childlike innocence always warms our heart, whether he is helping a pickpocket or buying medicines for the child of the lawyer who is aiming to keep him away from his own kid. More effective are the changes he brings about in those he comes into contact with. When we see the pickpocket help him or Y.G.Mahendran, who initially disapproves of him, share his bed and listen to his story, we see the power of that goodness and how it can transform someone.

But the light-hearted, positive tone of the film does prevent it from generating any dramatic tension as Vikram and Anushka fight for getting custody of Sara. The tricks employed by Anushka and their results are too simplistic and though Nasser is introduced as an experienced, accomplished lawyer, his actions and behavior belie his reputation. The sequence where Santhanam and Bhaskar chase Vikram's four friends descends into overt slapstick and feels like it belongs in a different movie.

Vikram comes close to hamming it up whenever he tries to play cute or innocent. But he makes up for it by effectively underplaying during the quieter moments. He is able to convey his feelings for his daughter and make us feel for his loss as he yearns to see her. He is phenomenal in the climactic court scene as he conveys myriad emotions like love, helplessness and understanding. Baby Sara delivers a mature performance and is able to overcome the problem that dogs most child actors - being cute without being irritating. Anushka is convincing as the lawyer who is saddled with a case that might be too big for her but proceeds since she is convinced she is doing the right thing. Amala Paul too, without uttering too many words, is able to convey her mixed emotions about doing the right thing for Sara. Santhanam gets some laughs though that is mostly due to his popularity now rather than any particularly humorous comedic sequences.

G.V.Prakash's soundtrack suits the film's theme with predominantly melodies. Though it feels unnecessary, Vizhigalil Oru... wins for picturization. But its Aariro..., with its beautiful and emotional start and some nice father-daughter moments, that manages to stay with us. Kadha Solla Poren... is obviously targeted at kids while Pa Pa Pappa... finds Vikram on the brink of hamming it up. Nirav Shah's camerawork is impeccable as always, capturing the beauty surrounding Vikram's house in all its glory.