After a long list of acknowledgments, Ayal Jeevichirippundu opens with the words of William Butler Yeats' - 'There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't yet met'. Well, Yeats pretty much sums up the movie.
The story revolves around two strangers – Murugan and John Mathew Mathan, played by Manikandan Achari and Vijay Babu, respectively. The socioeconomic differences between Murugan and John form the crux of the story.
Murugan is a fisherman, who is on a trip to his dream destination Goa. Meanwhile, John, a Booker Prize winner is struggling hard to overcome his writer’s block through a relaxing vacation in the coastal state.
Predictably, fate brings them together and they bond instantly. The rest of the film takes the format of a road movie, with thrilling, fun-filled adventures.
The accidental encounter of John and Murugan is brilliantly and neatly crafted. The film shines spotlights on the extremely different personalities of the protagonists.
After being a scriptwriter for movies such as Avathaaram, Vyasan K.P. has made a decent debut as a writer-director with Ayaal Jeevichirippundu. The movie packs a punch with beautiful characterizations and noteworthy performances.
Both Manikandan Achari and Vijay Babu have excelled in their roles. It's refreshing to see that state award winner Manikandan has not let Balan of Kammatipaadam influence Murugan. As for Vijay Babu, it must have been pretty easy to be John as the character’s body language is not much different from the actor himself – calm, composed and polished. Marathi actress Namrata Gaikwad, who has made her Mollywood debut with this movie, can definitely expect more movies from the land of coconut.
Apart from them, Sudheer Karamana, Hareesh Peradi, Thesni Khan and Kishore Sathya deserve a mention.
Ayal Jeevichirippundu is a feel-good movie taking one through the magical journey of adventure, laughter and tears.
Rating: 3/5
