Kamal Hassan’s Virumandi, has earned its share of notoriety, with the director continually wrangling with political elements and battling the censors endlessly. The film when released in January was, however, wildly successful at the box office. Once again, we have a fine bit of film making from this veteran actor marred, unfortunately, by a surfeit of gratuitous violence.

The film revolves around two men - Virumandi (Kamal Hassan) awaiting the death penalty for crimes he has not committed and Kothala Thevar (Pasupathy) serving life for multiple murders. Angela (Rohini), a documentary film-maker and a fierce opponent of capital punishment, comes to the central jail to make a TV documentary on this sensitive issue. Thevar begins to narrate his story to the filmmaker and as he begins to attract the audience’s sympathy, we begin to hear Virumandi's version, that is a completely different take on the same story.

Virumandi is a lovable village rogue, whose land is targeted for it's water resources by two kingpins, the afore-mentioned Kothaala Thevar and Nallama Naaickan (Napolean). Virumandi lives large, he drinks, brawls and cries with abandon. Underneath it all, we are assured that our hero does possess a heart of gold!

When Virumandi falls in love with Annalachumi (Abhirami), the Thevar’s niece, all hell breaks loose. Thevar plots and plans against Virumandi, separates him from his beloved and in the mayhem that ensues, Annalachumi dies.

The long drawn out denouement seems almost an afterthought. There is a story within a story when the riots break out in the prison and documentary filmmakers have to flee for their lives. Virumandi comes to the rescue and after much more (groan) mayhem and murders, the film putters to an end!

During the narration, one is bombarded with sickeningly violent images, of babies being thrown into wells, of men being gored by knives and scalpels. Kamal has no intentions of letting go though, and right up till the end, we are subject to increasing doses of blood and gore. And this in a film that is purportedly glorifying non-violence!

Even though the premise of the tale is promising, the film as a whole is an absolute downer! Kamal is his old narcissist self, larger than life and quite unbelievable. There are some moments of directorial brilliance (the running of the bulls scenes and the tender romantic scenes come to mind) but these are few and far between. It is hard to take Kamal as a serious filmmaker after one has witnessed this waste of time!

Pasupathy as Thevar puts in a mesmerizing performance as does Abhirami as Annalachumi. S.N.Laksmi as Virumandi’s grandmother, Shanmugarajan as Paykamman, the corrupt police officer and Napolean as Nallamanicker make up a dream cast of competent professionals. Illayaraja's music is compelling and Art Director Prabhakaran has created sets that reflect perfectly the ambience of a real village.

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