Ayngaran is a film written and directed by Ravi Arasu and produced by B Ganesh under the banner Common Man Presents. The film has GV Prakash and Mahima Nambiar in the lead roles, while Hareesh Peradi, Aadukalam Naren, Kaali Venkat, and others play crucial supporting roles. The film has music by GV Prakash and cinematography by Saravanan Abhimanyu.
Mathi (GV Prakash) is a mechanical engineering graduate, who makes a lot of machines and inventions and tries to get a patent for them from the government, in vain. One day he goes to a poultry farm belonging to a rich businessman, and sees him mix steroids to chicken meat. He immediately shoots a video of it and makes it viral, leading to the farm being sealed and Mathi earning the wrath of the businessman. On the other hand, he comes across a gang of deadly jewellery burglars, helping them when their SUV car is stuck in a subway. Finally, there is another subplot involving a child getting trapped inside a pit that was drilled for setting up a borewell. How is Mathi involved in all these plots form the rest of the film.
When the film begins and Mathi is shown as a mechanical engineer who invents a lot of stuff, one might start thinking that this is a sci-fi film with a social angle, where his innovations end up benefiting people. But a few minutes into the film, we see a robbery take place, and immediately we feel as if the film is going to be a heist thriller, with Mathi inventing machines to stop them.
And a few more minutes later, Mathi gets into a tiff with the poultry farm owner, making us wonder if this is a film with a message on improper food production methods. Midway through the second half, the film becomes one about rescuing a girl from a borewell pit. Till the end of the runtime, the film might give you a confused feel about where it is heading towards, but it is high on engagement. It is tough to explain, but it is.
GV Prakash the actor is sincere as Mathi, the engineer and is supported well by Kaali Venkat who appears as his friend and Aadukalam Naren, who portrays Mathi's father. Mahima Nambiar plays Madhi's love interest and does well in the limited space she has. These quality performances by the actors keep us engaged for a large part of the movie. Equal credits should go to writer-director Ravi Arasu for sketching these characters well.
The few issues in the writing are nullified by the characterization and the non-linear screenplay. Among the technical aspects, GV Prakash's background score keeps things lively. The cinematography and editing could have been much better, but there is nothing big to complain about. The over-the-top nature of the stunts do not help the film's cause because of the nature of the film, which is rooted in reality.
Overall, Ayngaran is a film with strong performances and characterization, instead of three subplots, had the film stuck to one, we would have gotten a more crisp, tight film. Nevertheless, the messaging at the end is too honest and when the end credits roll, you'll have something to take away from Ayngaran.