Rubaai review: Director Anbazhagan's climax leaves your heart wringing in pain

Director M Anbazhagan, who made his debut with the Samudrakani-starrer Sattai, comes up yet again with another quality film in Rubaai.

Bharani (Chandran) and Babu (Kishore Ravichandran) are two youngsters whose livelihoods revolve around a truck they own to ferry goods from one place to another. Their only problem is that they need to salvage enough money to pay off a financier from whom they borrowed to buy the truck. If they fail to make the last payment on time, the financier will seize the truck.

Now, as they deliver goods at the Koyambedu market, they find themselves short of a few thousand rupees from what they owe the financier. With just a day left to pay him, they frantically look for any more work that can get them those few thousands.

It is at this time, that they come across Kungumarajan (Chinni Jayanth), a dishonest elderly person struggling to make ends meet. Kungumarajan is looking to silently relocate to another place with his daughter and the few belongings they have, a plan to run away from his debtors. That isn't the only reason. He is perceived by everybody in the vicinity, especially the house owner, as a harbinger of bad luck.

Although it isn't to their liking, the youngsters strike a deal with Kungumarajan. As they arrive at the latter's place, Chandran meets Kungumarajan's daughter Ponni (Anandhi) and instantly falls in love. They pack and the group begins to head to the new destination. However, ill luck befalls the team as the new house is taken even before the group reaches there.

With nowhere to go, Kungumarajan and his daughter are in a spot with their belongings in the truck. The elderly man begins to turn desperate as he hurriedly looks for another place to move but to his ill luck, nothing works out. The broker too, realising that Kungumarajan has very little money on him, takes his commission and slips away.

While Kungumarajan and his daughter are desperate to find a place to stay, the young duo is desperate to offload the cargo and get back to their native place where they have to pay the financier by dawn. While Bharani doesn't mind spending time with the father and daughter, obviously because of his interest in the girl, his friend Babu is desperate to get back home.

It is at this point they reach a place in the city where the streets are too narrow for the truck to proceed any further. With the broker gone, Kungumarajan, leaving his daughter and belongings in the truck, chooses to hunt for a place to stay on his cycle.

Hours pass and there is no progress. As each of these people break their heads over their future, a heist is taking place nearby. A ruthless murderer, Mani Sharma (Harish Uthaman), is busy burgling a finance company.

Soon, the lives of all four individuals change because of what Mani Sharma does...

Rubaai starts off in a really unassuming manner, before beginning to gain pace. But once it starts picking up momentum, there's no stopping and suddenly you realise the film has turned into a gripping thriller.

It ends on a high note with the climax leaving your heart wringing in pain.

Uthaman as Mani Sharma is just brilliant. For most part of the film, he has no dialogues but successfully conveys the strength and the power of his character with just his expressions. A wonderful artiste who has been used to his full potential in this film by director Anbazhagan.

Next in line is actress Anandhi, who, as Ponni, steals your heart. With her big eyes that are full of innocence and sorrow, Anandhi plays to perfection the role of a good-hearted, straight forward, innocent daughter of a dishonest, desperate man. Her performance is so good that one actally feels sorry for the character, who has to face so much humiliation for no fault of her's.

Chinni Jayanth as Kunguma Rajan plays his part without any problems. A versatile artiste and a gifted veteran, Jayanth makes a strong comeback with this film.

Chandran as Bharani and debutant Kishore Ravichandran as Babu do justice to their roles. D Imman's music and Ilayaraja's shots take the film to the next level.

On the whole, director Anbazhagan seems to have marshalled his troops well to make the point that money is the root of all evil, loud and clear.

Rubaai easily makes the cut and deserves to be watched in theatres.