Director Shankar's S Pictures has being making quality and yet commercially successful films.G. Vasantha Balan directs yet another successful film from S Pictures titled Veyyil. This movie is markedly different from make-believe ventures we see all over town. Veyyil is realistic to a point and yet does not fail to entertain. It is a solid movie with a moral.

 The story is narrated by Murugesan (Pasupathy) who reminisces about his childhood days in a small hamlet near Virudunagar. Murugesan’s father is a butcher who heads a happy family. He is a hard-working man devoted to his four children, two boys and two girls. Murugesan is quite attached to his younger brother Kathir (Bharath).

Murugesan, like any boy of his age, has a weakness for movies, especially those starring MGR. He never misses the movies shown in a theatre nearby but on a fateful day he is caught by his father. Murugesan was watching a movie after cutting classes. He gets severe thrashing from his father and the heart-broken Murugesan runs away after pocketing some money and jewels from the house. 

 The boy reaches a nearby town where a projectionist in the local cinema theatre gives him protection and the theatre becomes his home away from home. Murugesan falls in love with Thangam, a beautiful girl living opposite the theatre.

The tryst with love comes to a sorrowful end with the death of Thangam. After the demise of Thangam, the theatre too is demolished. The heartbroken Murugesan returns home after a lapse of 20 years. The homecoming of Murugesan and how he is received by the family members have been picturised wonderfully.

All the characters perform admirably. Kathir showers love and affection on his elder brother. A feeling of guilt envelops Murugesan who feels rightly that he had been all long irresponsible. There are two parallel love stories, one between Kathir and Meenakshi (Bhavana) and between Murugesan and Pandi (Sriya Reddy), his childhood flame.

 The director deserves high commendation for his superb handling and portrayal of Murugesan’s character and the relationship between father and son. The director has succeeded in bringing out the best from everyone in the movie G.V.Prakash, a nephew of A.R.Rahman, has scored wonderful tunes to the lyrics of Na Muthukumar.

Two songs worth mention are Veyilodu Vilaiyaadu... and Uruguthey... The film has been beautifully photographed by Madhi. Rural Tamil Nadu, in all its charm and splendor has been out on celluloid.

Though the film is highly commendable, it is not free from certain negative aspects. The second half appears to meaner and linger long. A bit of editing of the last part could do wonders for the film.

 In spite of these minor deficiencies, Veyyil is a wonderful movie worth seeing.