The film works to a large extent because Tamil cinema has more clichés than any other cinema in the world. The director hits out at our larger than life heroes who specialize in mass masala and their cardboard “heroism”. ‘Mirchi’
Shiva as the “ultimate Kollywood super hero” carries the film to its winning post, ably assisted by Nirav Shah’s camera.
Every cliché and formula that makes mass movies has been lampooned in a funny manner that tickles the funny bone. Our hero Shiva (Mirchi Shiva) is born on a rainy day in a village and the new born speaks to his grandmother (Parvai Muniamma) that his dream is to go to Chennai to become a man for all seasons like a typical Tamil film hero. In Chennai, the boy pedals on a cycle and as years pass become a larger than life hero who takes on the scum of the earth and turns into the “friendly neighbourhood guy who gets things done.”
Like all Tamil heroes he goes to college and hangs around with his friends Nakul (MS Bhaskar), Siddharth (Manobala) and Bharath (Venniradai Moorthy) a dig at Tamil cinemas ageing comedians who pretend to be students. Shiva falls in love with a classmate (Disha Pandey), and does everything a regular Tamil hero does to win the heroine in films like Kadhalukku Mariyathai, Mouna Ragam, Mozhi etc. When the heroine’s father says he will not allow his daughter to marry a poor man with no job, Shiva works overtime and becomes a tycoon overnight just like what Rajinikanth did in Annamalai, Padyappa, Sivajietc, etc.
Meanwhile it is revealed that he is an undercover cop who wants to exterminate the criminals in the city. Shiva’s method of eliminating the criminals are far better than what Vijay did in Tirupachi and Pokkiri, Suriya inGhajini and Khakka Khakka, Vikram in Anniyan and Kamal Hassan in Apoorva Sahodrakal. Even more hilarious is how Shiva goes back to his village in search of his father who abandoned him many years back. And the climax is when he discovers who runs the ‘D’ company is hilarious.
On the downside, it gets predictable post interval though the film is only 2 hours and 5 minutes. Pot shots have been taken liberally at Rajinikanth and Vijay while some other superstars have been spared.
Some of the most stupid moments but thoroughly enjoyable are Shiva’s classical dance piece to impress his girl friend, and rip off of many fight scenes (mainly from Vijay films), court scene and the judge in the climax, and popular dialogues of Kamal and Vijaykanth .
The director and dialogue writer CS Amudhan’s laughs are spot on, punctuated by the scripts outrageous glossary of over-the-top depiction of Tamil film stereotypes. Nirav Shah’s camera and Kannan’s music mainly the song O Maha Zeeya.. (Harris Jayaraj & Vijay Antony spoof music) makes it a rip-roaring rocker!
