Narain, the talented performer who has seen two consecutive top-grossers, even a cliched story has provided a solid platform to prove himself. Panthayakozhi,dubbed from original Malayalam, is stereotyped and has an overdose of commercial ingredients. Though some sequences and backdrops have been exclusively designed and shot for the Tamil version, there is a predominant Malayalam flavour in the movie and moreover, the voiceovers are not adequate. In spite of all these shortcomings, the film entertains Tamil audiences to a considerable extent.

Nandu (Narain), a fatherless youngster, travels to Sathyamangalam to sell one of his ancestral properties in the village. As soon as Nandu reaches the village, he gets involved in a petty tussle with the local street-side thugs. This petty problem gets blown up and very soon, Nandu is forced to face their menacing leader (Rami Reddy). The merciless gangster threatens Nandu and creates substantial trouble for him. Eventually, Nandu also comes to know that the same gangster is responsible for the death of his father. A deep feeling of rage and reprisal drives the youngster and is out to extract revenge. Does Nandu succeed? How does this ordinary individual rise up to vanquish the powerful gangster? After a rapid phase comprising a series of sensational fights, all ends well.

Without any parallel characters or storylines to provide a diversion, the main story progresses on a single track. Narain is the backbone of Panthayakozhi. His character's depth and force move the entire film forward. Even the small comic interludes involving Haneefa and Narain are few and far between. Heroine Pooja, cast as the villain's good-natured daughter who falls in love with Nandu, her father's worst enemy, has made her presence felt throughout the film and her acting is good. The scene in which she terrifies the exorcist with a detergent-filled and flavoured biryani works particularly well. The Pooja-Narain romance takes a backseat amid all the confusion and tumult. Geetha's role as Narain's mother is typically in agreement with the formula fare. She dutifully grieves for her husband's death and promptly encourages her son to challenge the villain. Bose Venkat as a sincere police officer proves the weight of his role as well as the intensity of his performance in the scene in which his hands are cut off in the fight with the villains. Bose's realistic expressions showcase his deep pain along with his strong will to endure it. Stunts by Kanal Kannan deserve applause. Alex Paul has scored the music; his re-recording is quite impressive.