Thirunaal sees actor Jiiva taking a break from the urban centric roles he has been doing for the past 2-3 years. After last year’s disastrous Yaan, Jiiva will be pinning his hopes on Thirunaal. Directed by Ramnath, the film also features Nayanthara, Sharath Lohithashwa, ‘Neeya Naana’ Gopinath, and Joe Malloori. Thirunaal is set in Kumbakonam, where Jiiva plays the ‘local’ guy. And looks vastly different. Reportedly, he spent hours in the sun to get that tan.
Thirunaal is about local politics and rowdyism. The trailer opens with, “Arasiyal la valara rowdy venum, Rowdyism la valara arasiyal venum” (You need rowdies to grow in politics, and politics to grow as a rowdy). Jiiva expertly brandishes a blade from his shirt sleeve. His character is called ‘Blade’ Ganesh. Blade informs everyone that he and his gang are on top of the business in Kumbakonam and Thanjavur. Then, a lungi clad Jiiva dances to a kuthu song.
Enter Nayanthara, along with the sound of anklets and a melodious chorus. She is the dhavani clad ‘homely’ girl, who says, ‘Unmaiya Love panradhe local pasanga dhan’ (Only ‘local’ guys can be true in love). For some reason, she’s surprised to see a bottle of beer in his car. Does she expect sobriety from a local? Then she expertly brandishes a blade. From inside her mouth. It’s pretty cool. She exits with a ‘Bayangaramana aalu da’.
Next, a few exchanges between the police and the politicians/rowdies. Gopinath is in a new avatar, with a ‘murukku meesai’. Jiiva does a Nayanthara, and pulls out a blade from his mouth. Reminiscent of Suriya’s toothpick from Anjaan. Then there’s an ‘item’ song. Sometimes there’s a pallu. Sometimes there isn’t. At any rate, a woman dances in the rain with 20 men around her. The lyrics are fairly lazy. (Loosely translated: “Don’t scold. Don’t touch.”)
Sarath Lohithashwa then tells his comrades that Blade must die. Then there are a zillion billion attempts to make that wishful thinking real. Jiiva fights goons with aruvas, punctuated with fast cuts. Someone needs to tell the villain, it’s not going to happen. The trailer winds down with the sound of glass breaking, red oozing out of the screen. The title appears, designed by blades. Knives slickly slice off the edges.