A mix between the ill fated ''Massu Engira Masilamani'' and Raghava Lawrence''s blockbuster franchise ''Muni aka Kanchana'' director Kanmani''s ''Peigal Jaakirathai'' gives a different spin to the tried and tested horror comedy which has a truly touching climax if you can sit through till then.
The story begins with a money lender
Annachi (Thambi Ramaiah), who always has a dozen henchmen with him and
while many fear him, he has his own fears of his dead lover Rose Mary
haunting him. Someone comes up with the idea of hiring a man without
fear of anything as body guard and their search leads to Saravanan
(Jeeva Rathnam) an orphan who constantly attempts suicide
unsuccessfully. Saravanan convinces Annachi that ghosts don''t exist
and this leads him overcome his fears to such an extent that a now
brave Annachi becomes an exorcist. Meanwhile Saravanan falls in love
with the Eshanya daughter of Manobala who rejects him, causing him to
once more attempt suicide by falling into the water from a bridge.
Saravanan on the verge of drowning is saved by unknown people and the
ghosts of an Old Man, a middle aged man and woman and teenage girl
follow him to the house and terrorize him by asking him to do silly
things like eating loads of cake, going around the giant wheel for the
whole day, stealing a ring from a DIG and a car owned by a drunkard.
What is the agenda of the ghosts forms a riveting and touching climax.
Thambi Ramaiah has got a meaty role
as Annachi and he manages to deliver a few laughs here and there with
his antics. Jeeva Rathnam is passable as the hero Saravanan, while the
heroine Eshanya does not have much to do. For a film that has
Manobala, Black Pandi, Mottai Rajendran and John Vijay in the cast
''Peigal Jaakirathai'' is quite disappointing in the comedy area as the
spontaneity is missing as a whole.
Director Kanmani can be appreciated
for the last fifteen minutes or so when the reason for the ghosts
haunting the hero is revealed. There is also a touching scene between
John Vijay who plays a suspecting husband and his wife, but it is
simply out of place in this film. Music by Maria Jerald and lyrics by
Madhan Karky and Vivekha support the proceedings and especially the
climax song draws attention. Cinematography by Mallikarjun is adequate.
