Rendu 2006

Shakti, R. Madhavan is a young man from a village with no steady job but big ambitions, watching life slip by as he dreams of something more. With limited prospects at home, he heads to Chennai to seek his fortune and to join his uncle Kirikalan, Vadivelu, who runs a stall of magic tricks at a noisy exhibition. Yet Kirikalan isn’t a true magician; his acts are rough around the edges, and the crowds he attracts are not large enough to lift his spirits or his pockets.

Right next to their stall stands a vibrant all-girls display themed around mermaids, where Velli, Reema Sen is the head mermaid and her sister-led troupe draws in the crowds. Bitter quarrels flare between Shakti and Velli whenever she and her team draw away potential customers, and she quickly forms a wary impression of him as a shady character. But beneath the friction, a quiet, growing attraction begins to unfurl between them, an undercurrent that promises something more intimate as the days pass.

The exhibition grounds are a hotbed of tension, not least because the owner of the grounds, Manivannan, harasses Velli under various pretexts and watches her with a mixture of desire and frustration. His soft spot for her is met with rejection, and the conflict escalates until he abducts Velli. Shakti doesn’t hesitate—he plunges into danger, rescues her, and the bond between them tightens in the shadow of fear. The ordeal leaves both of them more protective of each other, and the spark between them grows into something warmer as they navigate the danger together.

Meanwhile, Velli’s betrothed arrives, pressing her into a forced arrangement, and Shakti again steps in to shield her from coercion. Their shared danger helps them to shed their earlier mistrust, and love begins to bloom amid the constant bustle of the exhibition.

Beyond the fairs and stalls, a sinister sequence of murders unfurls across towns. Two culprits disappear after each crime, and a witness at one scene spots the killer, sending investigators on a relentless hunt. The case leads them to a devastating fire at a marriage hall in Kumbakonam, where a trove of photographs reveals Shakti’s face to the witness. The police zero in on Kannan, Shakti’s doppelgänger, and arrest him, believing he is the mastermind behind the killings. Shakti is taken into custody, and the real plan behind the murders begins to surface.

Kannan, who had been quietly following the investigation, discovers that an innocent man has been captured. He allies with Kirikalan and Velli to aid Shakti, and together they orchestrate a daring escape. As they slip through the shadows, Kannan resolves to reveal the truth behind the crimes, even if it costs him dearly, and he begins to tell the story that connects everything to his own past.

The tale unfolds as a long, painful backstory. Kannan, his elder brother Ganesh, and their father were renowned caterers hired to cook at a wedding in Kumbakonam. There, Kannan meets Jothy, and instantly falls in love with her, only to fear that she might be the bride at the ceremony. He later learns that she is not the bride, which only deepens his attachment. Meanwhile, Ganesh suggests a practical arrangement: Ganesh should marry Manjula, the host’s daughter. But the wedding spirals into chaos when powerful villains, who have illegally bought government land, turn the town against the family. A brutal fire engulfs the wedding hall, killing many inside and shattering the hopes of the wedding party. Kannan and Ganesh manage to escape, but the tragedy leaves Kannan permanently marked—his eyes carry the memory of the fire.

Out of the ashes of that night, Kannan vows revenge against the criminals who destroyed his world. Shakti, moved by Kannan’s pain and the injustice he faces, decides to help him seek justice rather than merely pursue vengeance. With Velli and Kirikalan by their side, they piece together a network of motives and lies that stretches from the crowded exhibition grounds to the crime-ridden corners of the state.

In the climactic moments, Kannan confronts the villains with a resolve tempered by the memories of his lost love and family. He makes the ultimate sacrifice to stop the chief antagonist, Rakesh, leaping into lava to ensure that the villains cannot evade the consequences of their actions. The act of self-sacrifice frees him from the chains of the past, and, in a hopeful close, he reunites with his family and his beloved Jothy in heaven, leaving the living to carry forward the memory of his courage and the power of forgiveness.

This tale blends emotional romance, familial loyalty, and a quest for justice, all set against a backdrop of bustling markets, bright exhibitions, and the cinematic energy that characterizes a Tamil stage where love, pain, and redemption intersect. The performances—led by Shakti’s longing and Kannan’s determined pursuit—carry the audience through a world of deception and truth, danger and devotion, endings that feel earned and moments that feel earned as well. The film remains a testament to how two strangers, bound by circumstance and united by courage, can transform their lives and maybe even change a community, one brave choice at a time.