Inspired
from
real
events
and
a
newspaper
article,
debut
director
Prabhu's
Karuppampatti,
a
story
about
a
man's
search
for
his
familial
roots,
is
strikingly
different
in
presentation,
but
falters
in
execution.
Even
though
the
film
addresses
a
commonly
discussed
theme
in
cinema,
yet
it
manages
to
strike
a
chord
with
one
and
all
thanks
to
an
overall
entertaining
output.
Kothai
(Ajmal),
born
and
raised
in
France,
decides
to
visit
a
small
village
called
Karuppampatti
in
Tamil
Nadu
after
the
demise
of
his
father
to
trace
his
familial
roots.
Upon
arrival
in
the
village,
he
learns
that
his
father
Manohar
(Ajmal),
who
once
belonged
here,
discarded
everybody,
including
his
own
family
and
left
for
France.
He
also
secretively
pledged
all
the
properties
of
his
relatives
to
cover
his
expenses
to
France.
Having
learnt
about
his
father's
bitter
past,
Kothai,
with
the
help
of
cousin
Karuppu
(Jagan)
conceals
his
identity
and
attempts
to
right
the
wrong.
Meanwhile,
Shanthini
(Aparnaa)
falls
head
over
heels
for
Kothai.
What
happens
when
the
villagers
find
out
Kothai
is
the
son
of
Manohar?
This
forms
the
rest
of
the
story.
There
is
a
good
blend
of
comedy,
tragedy,
romance
and
drama
that
not
only
makes
this
film
watchable,
but
occasionally
pushes
us
out
of
our
comfort
zone
to
mull
over
certain
things.
There
have
been
umpteen
films
about
a
disloyal
son
disrespecting
his
family
and,
therefore
suffering
in
life
to
learn
this
lesson.
However,
what
differentiates
Karuppampatti
is
the
effort
the
director
takes
to
present
a
clichéd
story
as
entertainingly
as
possible.
Nowhere
does
the
story
attempt
to
seem
preachy,
and
that
precisely
work
in
favour
of
the
film.
Technically
too,
this
film
supersedes
other
recent
films
made
by
debutants.
Be
it
the
sequences
in
France,
mostly
shot
with
a
handheld
camera
or
the
visually
vibrant
scenes
in
the
village
thanks
to
a
crafty
set
design.
Continue
reading
the
review
on
the
slideshow...
Karuppampatti
Movie
Review
The
songs
deserve
special
mention
for
they
have
choreographed
flawlessly
with
apt
prominence
given
to
the
milieu
of
the
film.
While
the
village
songs
are
simple
yet
vivid,
the
disco
number
is
a
lovely
throwback
into
the
1980s.
Karuppampatti
Movie
Review
Ajmal
in
dual
roles,
set
in
different
eras,
has
definitely
left
an
impression
with
his
performance.
This
being
his
first
big
ticket
to
hero
title;
he
has
pushed
himself
to
the
edge
to
flush
out
a
good
performance.
Aparnaa
as
the
adorable
village
belle
with
an
everlasting
smile,
plays
her
part
neatly
with
an
ounce
of
confidence.
Karuppampatti
Movie
Review
However,
I
felt
her
role
was
limited
to
few
scenes.
The
French
girl
Alice
has
a
brief
part
to
play
and,
therefore,
she
doesn't
really
impress.
MS
Bhaskar
and
Jagan
keep
the
film
intact
with
some
amount
of
comedy,
while
the
melodramatic
family
feud
and
reunion,
appear
unconventional.
Karuppampatti
Movie
Review
Prabhu
sticks
to
the
universal
sutra
of
commercial
filmmaking
and
produces
a
film
that
despite
its
long
running
time,
gives
you
reason
to
enjoy.
Karuppampatti
Movie
Review
But,
does
Karuppampatti
succeed
in
bringing
an
entire
family
to
the
cinemas?
I
doubt
it.
Even
though
it
focuses
on
family,
sadly,
it
doesn't
have
everything
to
draw
a
family.