Movie: Ashokavanam

Director: 'Thakkali' Srinivasan
Cast: Shriman, Livingston, Riyaz Khan, Rajashri, Mohanram, Baby Jennifer, Master Mahendran.

Suspense thrillers are his forte and this time actor-director 'Thakkali' Srinivasan offers a psychological thriller with lesser known actors who have played their parts well. Shriman, whom one has seen playing the hero's friend in many a film, gets his first major role and never lets go the opportunity. The mentally disturbed youth, obsessed in getting what he thinks should have been rightfully his, is played excellently by Shriman. The actor's quick change of expressions reveal his calibre.

The cozy family of four, husband Mohan, his wife Uma (Riyaz Khan - Rajashri) and their children Rahul and Priya (Mahendran - Jennifer) do not realise that they have a stalker who is keeping watch over their activities. So when Mohan finds the words ' My car' scrawled all over his car, he thinks it is the handiwork of Rahul. And then he finds the words ' My home' scribbled all over his house and this time takes it a little more seriously. But for some unexplained reason he does not mention it to his best friend Selvam, a cop. And when Selvam does come to know of it, it is too late. For, by that time Mohan's two kids have been kidnapped, his wife is missing and Mohan himself is seriously injured and in hospital.

All this has to do with an incident which took place a couple of decades back. Madhu, a little boy from an orphanage, had been adopted by a wealthy, childless couple and pampered silly. Basking in this new-found love, Madhu suddenly finds his world come crashing down when the couple later beget their own son Mohan. Madhu is dumped back in the same sordid surroundings, quite unceremoniously. Many years pass and Madhu's growing obsession to get back what he thinks should have been rightfully his, and that includes Mohan's family too, gets the mentally disturbed youth back into their lives. Whatever the motive, crime never pays and it is a tragic end for the imbalanced youth.

The closing scenes of the 'happy family' strikes a discordant note. Despite its flaws, it is a commendable effort by the director to do something different.