Annadurai 2017

An innocent girl, Eswari Mahima Nambiar, hails a share cab home, only to be terrorized when a gang of thugs forces their way into the ride and traps her in a cemetery before attempting to assault her. Amid the danger, a drunk Annadurai Vijay Antony lies on a nearby grave and witnesses the assault. He rises to fight off the attackers, grabs a sari to cover Eswari, and drives her home to safety. Grateful for his courage, Eswari grows to respect him, and their brief rescue becomes a seed of mutual trust.

Annadurai is a kind-hearted man who quietly battles inner turmoil. After the death of his lover Esther, he spirals into alcohol, a fall his friend Karunas later reveals to Eswari. His reckless sorrow earns the scorn of most of his family, save for his compassionate mother who clings to the hope that he can reform. In the midst of this emotional turbulence, a sunny, good-natured girl named Chitra Jewel Mary falls for Annadurai’s sincerity, while his lookalike brother Thambidurai Vijay Antony, a PT master at a local school, embodies a gentler, steadier path. Thambidurai and Revathi Diana Champika, a cousin in his orbit, soon discover their own love, and their relatives start talking about a wedding that could unite two caring families.

The plot thickens when Annadurai borrows money for his friend Karunas from a ruthless moneylender, Dhayalan [Cheran Raj], which lands Karunas in trouble. To shield his kin, Annadurai shaves his beard to resemble Thambidurai, a trick that backfires when Dhayalan recognizes the tattoo of Esther on his arm and beats him as the deception is revealed. The family drama deepens as misunderstandings pile up, forcing Annadurai to grapple with his anger and his obligation to his mother. His uncle pleads for reform, reminding him that stability and honesty matter most to those who love him.

Chitra’s affection for Annadurai adds another layer of complexity. Yet the two brothers’ fates diverge sharply: Thambidurai’s kind nature makes him a target of danger when Dhayalan’s underworld schemes collide with village loyalties. As Karuppiah, a corrupt counsellor allied with an MLA named Mahalingam, grows more powerful, Thambidurai witnesses the darker side of political protection and money, while his own family begins to fear what truth and integrity can cost them in a town ruled by power and fear. Thambidurai’s reluctance to abandon his honest roots drives him to clash with Karuppiah, and the moral tension between truth and survival pulls the brothers further apart.

In a brutal turn, Annadurai takes on a dangerous mission to reclaim their property from Dhayalan. He confronts the moneylender and, through a tense confrontation, regains the family’s stake, even gifting the recovered share to the widow of the deceased bar owner who had trusted him with support. This gesture earns him a degree of respect from some, though it also places him squarely in the crosshairs of those who fear his influence. The friction intensifies when a rival blasts Annadurai with insults, prompting Thambidurai to act with a mix of righteous anger and caution that only deepens the divide between the brothers.

A pivotal moment arrives when Karuppiah orders the killing of a group of student witnesses who saw him murder a goon. Thambidurai resists this violence with his usual good nature, but Karuppiah escalates by setting a trap in motion. In a volatile sequence, Thambidurai instead chooses to pour petrol on Karuppiah, signaling a break from the older man’s brutal code. The MLA and his supporters revile Annadurai, and the path toward vengeance becomes dangerously clear. Thambidurai ultimately kills Karuppiah after Karuppiah’s henchman tries to strike back, and the town braces for a police encounter that could erase them all.

To protect his brother, Annadurai plans to outsmart the law. He kills Mahalingam and abducts Thambidurai, disguising himself as his brother to mislead the authorities. Eswari, watching a video released by Thambidurai, notices the Esther tattoo on the arm and realizes the disguise’s truth. Determined to safeguard family happiness, Annadurai begs Eswari to let the police end his life. She, and the pursuing officers, race to the site, and a police unit shoots what they believe to be Thambidurai—only to fatally strike Annadurai. The revelation of Annadurai’s selfless love finally reaches Thambidurai, who enters a period of grief and recognition.

The film concludes with Thambidurai honoring Annadurai’s memory through a final, poignant rite. He helps conduct the funeral for Annadurai’s family, with Revathi and her father in attendance, while Eswari watches the ceremony from a distance. Across the town, a poignant healing process begins, and Thambidurai takes the step to marry Revathi, carrying forward the legacy of love, sacrifice, and truth that marked Annadurai’s life.