I didn't really know what to think of "Ayutha Ezuthu" after the first time that I saw it - I suppose I was expecting a much different movie - but after revisiting it, I really have come to appreciate and enjoy it. Mani Ratnam is really a director who understands characters and shapes them with such heart and soul. The real stand-out actor here for me is Madhavan, who portrays Inba, the street thug who aspires to overcome his low-life existence but does it in all the wrong ways. The nuances of his character really show, and the 180-degree reversal from what we are used to seeing him as makes his performance all the more appealing. And Bharathi Raja ... wow! He comes off as a cunning and very humorous villain, and the exchanges between Surya and him are certainly something to see. I would least expect Mani Ratnam to put out something with a political message, but he does it with grace and style. A big thumbs up!
