Unlike Hollywood, Tamil cinema has rarely made movies with pivotal roles for senior artistes. While actors like Sean Connery and Al Pacino still have roles tailor-made for them and are offered lots of oppurtunities, Tamil cinema could not find roles for even a great actor like Sivaji once he went beyond being hero material. With younger heroes like Rajnikanth and Kamalhassan on the rise in the 80s, Sivaji was reduced to playing either supporting roles in good movies or important roles in mediocre movies. It took Bharatiraja to set straight this state of affairs. In his first collaboration with Sivaji, the director offers him a strong role and the actor bites into it with relish, bringing to life an older man who is suffering at the hands of his wife and finds comfort in the company of a younger woman.

Sivaji plays a rich and well-respected man in the village. His wife Ponnaatha(Vadivukkarasi) though, is a foul-mouthed shrew, never tiring of complaining about the state of her life and pointing out that Sivaji married her for her wealth. Kuyilu(Radha), a young woman, moves into town and earns her living plying a parisal across the river. She likes Sivaji for his goodness and kindheartedness and he too finds solace in her affection and soothing words. Meanwhile, Sivaji's sister's son(Dhileepan) is in love with the daughter(Ranjani) of a cobbler from a lower caste.

Bharatiraja's romances have been out of the ordinary quite a few times and here he depicts the growing affection between a young woman and an older man. Their character sketches make their unstated romance completely believable and their meetings have equal doses of comedy, sentiments and romance. Sivaji's frequent attempts to lift the rock after the challenge posed by Radha and his delayed enjoyment of the food prepared by her are successful in that they are funny while at the same time making us sympathise with Sivaji. The other romance in the movie, the one between Dhileepan and Ranjani, is more conventional.

Bharatiraja expertly juggles more than one track and successfully merges them towards the end. Apart from the two romances, he also deals with Sivaji's daughter and her wayward husband and a couple of flashbacks that led to Sivaji marrying Vadivukkarasi. The storylines feature some unexpected turns too, with the way the romance between Dhileepan and Ranjani ends being particularly sudden and shocking. Ranjani's father's repeated uttering of Enakkoru Unmai Therinjaaganum Saami, after the incident piques our interest and the reason behind his statement is brutal when it is revealed.

As always Bharatiraja makes the village, with its bustling activity and vibrant colors, come alive through his camera. One particular shot where Ranjani cups water in her hand and drops it to reveal the reflection of the moon to Dhileepan deserves kudos for thought and execution. Ilaiyaraja, as always, props the movie up strongly with some memorable tunes. Malaysia Vasudevan's voice fits Sivaji very well in Poongaathu Thirumbumaa... which features some very nice, simple lyrics as Sivaji tries to find the woman turning his song into a duet. Raasaave Unnai Nambi... and Vetta Veru Vaasam... are hauntingly melodious while Ey Kururuvi... is playful and catchy. Andha Nilaavathaan... is another melodious duet.

In one of the few roles that provided him with the right oppurtunity to emote, Sivaji is great as the man who has made sacrifices galore to help the people around him. He is like a child with a twinkle in his eye with Radha while the same eyes convey his sadness in a jiffy on hearing Vadivukkarasi's harsh words. Almost every muscle on his face seems to have a life of its own in the final scene when Radha comes back to visit him. Radha matches him in the best performance of her career and Radhika's voice provides her good support. Vadivukkarasi makes us cringe with her dialogs and her performance is right on the mark in making us sympathise for Sivaji. Dhileepan and Ranjani(another 'R' heroine from Bharatiraja) are passable in their first film. Satyaraj enjoys himself in a short cameo.