Yet another film centred around Madurai. The hard work of debut making director Gaurav and all the technicians involved are the pillars of support for ‘Thoonga Nagaram.’

Four guys become friends at a Tasmac outlet in Madurai. Though coming from different strata of society, these ‘class’ mates become real close mates. Life goes on in a happy, drunken bliss till circumstances brings death knell into their lives.

The son of an industrialist (Kamala Theatre Chidambaram) makes obscene films and blackmails young girls. To save the daughter of the temple priest, Vimal tracks and accosts Chidambaram’s son. The big man orders that the guy who accosted his son should be killed. While the villains comb the city for Vimal, the 4 friends decide to go back to their towns to escape the eyes of the bad men. The ensuing incidents lead to one thrill after another.

Vimal, Gaurav, Nishant and Barani are the 4 friends who do their respective parts well. Nishant speaks as a mute person. Vimal wants to marry a girl that he wants from his heart; Barani wants to keep his wife happy; Gaurav wants to bring up his siblings in life; Nishant wants a place in his sweetheart’s affections without her knowing of his disability; there are so many such small poetic stories.

Working in an electric crematorium, Gaurav takes all death as a matter of fact, but the realization when he is struggling for life, is rather touching. Anjali as the TV presenter plays a new type of character. When Vimal realizes that Anjali is the little girl on whom he had a crush in childhood days, he calls her live on the show and makes a lively conversation.

There’s a hilarious spat between two old ladies in ‘Agni Nakshatram’ style. Kamala Theatre Chidambaram impresses in his debut role. Though his dialogues are few, his flashing eyes should definitely have the producers lining up at his door. The boy who acts as Vimal’s assistant is one to watch out for.

To save their own families, Vimal’s friends are given the assignment to themselves skill Vimal. One naturally feels a flutter of fright at what would transpire but the events are so predictable that the climax falls flat. When friends come for a wedding, should they not come clean shaven instead of looking scruffy? Gaurav’s logic is missing here!

Cinematographer K Vijay shows his talent in so many scenes, especially his camera angles. For the first time, Sundar C Babu has shown concentration on the background score. Even the lighting of a match is done in such a grand manner that one must congratulate the director, as well as for the way he opens and closes a scene with his own individual touch.

‘Thoonga Nagaram’ is neither super nor so-so.