Watching Mani films of the recent times has been like going though a routine habit. With same type of presentations, language delivery and cliched story lines every new film is a rehash of something you had seen before. Payum Puli also offer little differences from what you have been with, before.
In the film, Mani is Saravanan who is engaged in local fisticuffs to support money lenders who gives loan in tons. His job is to make people payback the loans and to seize their, properties if they fail to do so. Residing in Malakha village, he is the left arm of the old don Moosa and will follow anything Moosa ask him to do.Saravanan is a man of his own principles, even though in a bad business.
As Ninan and co, a Kochi based company asks for Saravanan's help to recover from financial restraints, Saravanan joins the company as a CC catcher in the condition that he will do only things that seems right to him.
Being posted to the city, his next need is to find a place to reside. With the help of Mucheetu Rahman, he and Auto Gopalan, played by Jagathy, manages to find a house - Gokulam Tharavaadu, and to acquire a portion of it on lease. Gokulam Tharavaadu and its inmates have their share of problems, as Mallika her sister and their grandparents living there are enmeshed in poverty. Moreover Ravi Shankar who is the Mallika's half brother, the son of her father's first marriage, is planning to sell Gokulam Tharavaadu to one Mr. Jose, who has already given advance for the property on behalf of his son to develop into a star hotel.
Mallika tries to throw Saravanan, out of the house shortly after taking up residence, for not adhering to the rules of the house, as imposed by her. But as she is not able to reimburse the one lakh advance collected, prior to leasing out the premises to Saravanan, she is forced to allow the latter to continue staying there. But the relationship between them is far from cordial.
By the time Saravanan who has become a notable figure in the city has many clashes with Jose and co. It is at this juncture that eviction notice is served on the occupants of Gokulam Tharavaadu. Saravanan who otherwise, could not see eye to eye with Mallika now comes to her aid and rescue them from goondas of Ravishankar who comes to throw the family out of the house.
As the Tharavaadu is located at the heart of the city and is worth a few crores, the fight for its possession continues as Jose brings up many type of personals to combat Saravanan, leading to some good action sequences.
Saravanan, who by now has fallen for Mallika, agrees her that he will at any cost save the Tharvaadu from being taken over and demolished. But his job is not as easy he thought it would be, as the local commissioner, and the rest of the evil doers are all joining hands to eliminate Saravanan at any cost. Will he be able to keep the word?
Watch the film to have the rest of the entertainment. And all you end up is watching a film that makes all the right moves and yet fails to move the audience.
Mani who has made a reasonable fan following in these types of films does the role well. He is at the best in the action sequences carefully choreographed by three action directors--Anal Arasu, Mafia Sai and Rocky Rajesh.
The film's drawback is the leisurely pace of the first half, regular, patchy and inconsistent, uninteresting regular storyline. Biju Devassy and the scriptwriter have penned good dialogues and sequences, though it is not a full time affair. The song picturisations are good but the music by Mohan Sithara and rerecording by Rajamony is ordinary.
Saikumar once again has come up with a good performance as Josettan, while Rambha walkthrough the film. All others in the cast
