Appa 2016

Dhayalan, Samuthirakani, Singaperumal, Thambi Ramaiah, and Nadunilayan, Namo Narayanan, share a close-knit life in a Tamil Nadu town near Neyveli as they await the arrival of their sons. Each father embodies a distinct philosophy on upbringing: Dhayalan believes in a warm, playful childhood and social integration, Singaperumal prizes discipline, ambition, and a calculated path to academic and professional success, and Nadunilayan advocates for balance and humility, urging a low-profile approach to life. The boys grow up with names that reflect their fathers’ hopes: Vetriswaran, Chakravarthy, and Mayilvaganam.

Dhayalan’s home becomes a focal point of tension when his wife pushes for an early, formal education for their son. She wants a playschool that the neighbors deem prestigious, while Dhayalan argues that a child should first enjoy childhood and learn through play, at least until age five. After a heated argument, his wife attempts suicide, and, against his conscience, he concedes and enrolls their son in the playschool. This decision marks the beginning of a long-running clash over control, values, and the right environment for a child to grow.

As the boys mature, each father embeds his worldview in his son. Dhayalan teaches openness, trust, generosity, and a sense of community, urging his son to live with integrity and to connect with others honestly. Singaperumal directs his son toward relentless study and time management, aiming for top marks in Class 10 and 12 and eventually a medical degree, sometimes to the point of intense pressure. Nadunilayan advocates a centrist, low-key approach, warning against drawing excessive attention to one’s strengths or weaknesses. The trio of fathers cultivates a small circle of friends, including Rashitha Banu, Gabriella Charlton, who befriends the children, and Nandhini, with the family dynamics expanding beyond the nuclear unit. The lyricist Pa Vijay is referenced when Mayilvaganam’s poetic talents are recognized, Pa Vijay joining the storyline as a celebrated contributor to the arts.

When Vetriswaran excels in both sports and academics, Dhayalan enrolls him in swimming, and the boy later achieves a Guinness World Record at sixteen. Mayilvaganam reveals a talent for poetry, and his writings—from the family circle—catch the eye of prominent figures in the industry; his work is collected and celebrated, bringing the family into the limelight. Chakravarthy, the most academically intense of the trio, follows his father Singaperumal’s plan to reach the heights of education, moving to a strict, boarding environment to push for perfection. Chakravarthy tops the 10th grade with high marks, but the intense regime and isolation take a toll. He longs for his mother’s affection, endures harsh discipline, and, despite his achievements, begins to crack under the pressure.

The tension within Singaperumal’s camp boils over when Chakravarthy is forbidden to connect with his friends. After a night of defiance, he sneaks out with the help of his friends, but the school leadership clamps down hard in response. A turning point comes when Singaperumal receives news of his son’s attempted suicide and rushes to the hospital with Dhayalan. The crisis triggers a painful reckoning; Singaperumal apologizes for the harsh treatment he imposed and vows to reform, realizing that he may have deprived his son of the warmth and casual trust needed to flourish. Yet the school administration remains convinced that nothing serious has happened. A physician, Kumaran, later reveals that Chakravarthy had actually died eight hours earlier, murdered by school officials who punished him for voicing his complaints after a long night of torment. The school spins a cover story of suicide driven by love failure, but a close friend disputes this version and tells the truth to the media. Dhayalan holds a piece of damning evidence—a letter written by Chakravarthy to his father—which confirms the grim reality. The friends’ hearts break, and the community is left to grapple with the terrible consequences of excessive pressure and neglect.

In the end, the film underscores a sobering moral: children should be cherished and loved, not crushed beneath unattainable expectations. It proposes a thought-provoking hypothesis about how a child’s future is shaped by the care, attention, and emotional support they receive, rather than by any single path to achievement.