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Director: Pugazhmani
Cast: Ramki, Meena, Devayani, Rawali, Senthil, Nizhalgal Ravi, Vinu Chakravarty, Pahalwan Ranganathan, Baby Akshaya, K.R.
Vatsala.
 Meena plays the dual role of Goddess Padai Veettu Amman, and the neighbouring diety Muthu Maariamman, cutting a pretty picture in all her finery. Devayani plays Chamundi, a devotee, and the film opens with her being killed brutally on the eve of her marriage by the henchmen of the local bigwig. The latter's daughter was in love with the intended bridegroom Shankar and the fond father had wanted to remove the only hurdle in the way. The bigwig, in order to get his hands on a hidden treasure, had also taken the help of an evil tantrik. The presiding diety Muthu Maariamman is helpless, bound as she was by a vow she had made to Chamundi. That she wouldn't step out of her abode till Chamundi herself asked her to. It is time for the neighbouring diety Padai Veetu Amman to come to the rescue of the distressed village.
 Devayani plays the humble devotee with all the experience of having played similar roles in her earlier films. So does
Meena. Ramki looks trimmer having shed some excess weight. The special effects and graphics are commendable, but there is no novelty in the scripting or in the treatment. And unless the situations and narrative style are adapted to modern sensibility (like the Hollywood makers do) and made slicker, films of this genre will always remain at the bottom list of film buffs. Fit for consumption, only for the suburban or rural audience!
Malini Mannath
published on 18th Nov 2002
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