After weeks of flashy trailers, ads and news reports, Studio Greens' Naan Mahaan Alla (loosely translated, it means I am no saint) is finally here. With Karthi donning the role of a commercial hero and Kajal Aggarwal adding a dash of entertainment, not to mention Yuvanshankar Raja's thumping music, Naan Mahaan Alla has raised expectations to almost breaking-point. And whether director Suseenthiran's (Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu fame) most anticipated venture satisfies those expectations, well that is for you to see and judge.

Suseenthiran has the knack of taking a single point and developing a plausible storyline out of it. This time, aided by dialogue-writer T. Baskar Shakthi, he's come up with an intriguing one-liner: How does life change for a simple middle class youth, when a personal tragedy strikes? The situation certainly has enormous possibilities, and we're taken through a racy and action packed yet entertaining ride, beginning in 'Namma' Chennai.

Who is in it?

Naan Mahaan Alla is about a happy go lucky youth, Jeeva (Karthi), who cares for nothing and speaks from his heart. His father is his best companion and Jeeva's life takes a drastic change when a personal tragedy hits him.

We also have the smart and beautiful Priya (Kajal Aggarwal); unlike many heroines she is not a bubbly type. Silent and reserved, Priya is a simple girl-next-door, and any normal city girl can relate to her. Then we have Jayaprakash, an ideal father and taxi driver. He is calm, collected, and incredibly affectionate but with a sense of justice that is very appealing.

What is it about?

The film opens with a gang of youngsters who molest a young girl on a lonely beach after taking drugs. Cut back to our hero! Jeeva (Karthi), a happy-go-lucky middle-class guy with whom everybody can easily relate to. His hilarious one liners and speak-from-your-heart policy are loved by everyone, especially by his faithfull friends. At a friend's marriage, Jeeva spots a beautiful girl Priya (Kajal Aggarwal), and obiviously it's love at first sight for him. After few intial encounters, love blossoms between the two. The way in which Jeeva makes Priya fall in love with him is hilarious and outstanding.

Jeeva belongs to a middle class family; father, mother and sister, he has no job but his parents, especially his father, never fail to give him money. Four months after he first met her, Jeeva decides to talk to Priya's parents about their marriage. But Priya's father puts forth a condition: Jeeva should get a job and after six months, if the couple is still in love, he will accept the marriage.

Finally, Jeeva gets a job, as a bill collecting agent in a bank. But instead of collecting the money, he ends up emptying his pocket, watching cricket with kids and buying sweets for children. Reason? The sad-sob story of each family. Naturally, he ends up losing his job!

Cut back to the gang who molested a young girl! Police finds the dead body of a young girl (cut into pieces) and the investigation begins. Somehow Jeeva and his father get involved in all of this mess and from then on starts the cruel game of survival of the fittest.

The Performances

It's Karthi, Karthi and Karthi all through. Naan Mahaan Alla is a beautiful film; youthful, fresh and pragmatic. It's about ordinary people and their lives, sans any exaggeration. The story is a slice from our lives in the first half but the second half seems a bit exaggerated. But on the whole, every actor has come up with a realistic performance in typical Suseenthiran style!

The first half is racy, peppy and enthusiastic: a happy-go-lucky guy and a romantic, pretty girl are thrown together and, suddenly, everything -- starting from first meeting, the lovely songs and even the marriage proposal scene -- morphs from a mundane exercise to a thrilling adventure. The on screen chemistry between the lead pair and the father-son genuine love is a treat to watch.

Yuvanshankar Raja's melodious tunes fill your ears, while the lead pair smiles, cracks jokes and fall in love. The build-up is exciting, as you wait for the inevitable mystery to unravel...

Karthi excels in all the areas: romance, humour, emotion, love and even the larger-than-life stunt sequences. Kajal Aggarwal is pretty and appealing, but unfortunately her character has been wasted post interval. As usual, Jayaprakash excels with his realistic acting skills. Rajeevan's art work, Kasi Viswanath's sleek editing and Madhie's brilliant camerawork need special mention.

The verdict

Karthi's screen presence, pretty Kajal and Yuvan's songs make Naan Mahaan Alla an exciting viewing experience, though there are some loose ends to the story and some questions remain unanswered.

But on the whole Naan Mahaan Alla is worth a watch!

Reviewed by Ambili.