Set in rural Tamil Nadu, the movie Oru Oorla Rendu Raja, which means Two kings in a town was directed by R. Kannan.
The female lead, Priya Anand plays Priya, a self-righteous medical student on a social mission: to fight for the rights of factory laborers. She takes on the social project after she watches school friend, played by Vishaka Singh, bleed to death in a factory. The owner, played by Nasser is only interested in profit making. Priya realizes that not just her school friend, but others too are affected. Laborers go deaf because of the loud noise and outdated machinery. Some get cancer because of the corrosive liquid they touch without gloves.
Post filing a public interest litigation at the Madras High Court, she is on the train to the city to attend the hearing when she meets the two boys, Azhagu (Vemal) and Michael (Soori), who are travelling from Tuticorin to Chennai.
Most of the movie is shot in this train. Priya reveals herself as a woman who is always ready to help. For example, she helps one woman on the train give birth successfully. However, dark forces are soon upon her… and men with knives threaten Priya so as to frighten her into giving up her cause. Of course, Azagu, who somewhere along the way falls in love with her rescues her. The rest of the story continues with this one question: will Priya make it successfully to court, and how?
The plus points include the surprise twist in the plot involving the cop who comes to Priya’s rescue and in the parts where Azhagu and Michael display some realistic fighting.
Also, Nasser admirably plays the villain you love to hate, especially in court. The acting of Priya was also up to the markand Muthaiah’s cinematography captures the rural-urban mix charmingly.
As for what went wrong with the movie: everything else, it seems. The plot meanders into several unconvincing directions. The humor falls flat and Priya’s falling in love at the end with Azhagu seems quite forced. We felt that Soori and Singh had been wasted in the roles they were given.
All in all, Oru Oorla Rendu Raja is a movie with a well-intentioned theme and the right spirit, but the movie is simply too long and drags on and on. There are times where the meanderings get frustrating and towards the end, you are emotionally drained and just glad the movie is over.
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