Saivam
SaivamFacebook/ Saivam

Director A.L.Vijay's "Saivam," which hit the screens on Friday, has received positive reviews from critics.

The film has Nassar, baby Sara, Kausalya, Baasha, Twara Desai, Kausalya, George, Malathi and Raja Lakshmi among others in pivotal roles.

Story: Kathiresan (Nassar) lives in Kottaiyur village, not willing to part away from the traditional life style of the place. His children - three sons and a daughter - have settled outside the village. Along with their family members, they visit their hometown for a festival.

Tamilselvi (Baby Sara of "Deivathirumagal" fame) is the daughter of one of Kathiresan's sons, who also visits the village. The film moves on showing the bonding between the family members.

One day, the family members remember about a "nerthikadan" (offerings to the lord) that they had promised to do. They believe that their failure to keep up the promise has resulted in some bad events happening in each of their lives. The family decides to sacrifice the rooster named Pappa to fullfill their promise. But, Tamilselvi is very fond of the rooster and doesn't want it to be offered to God. How she manages to convince her family members forms the crux of the story.

Critics have given positive feedback about "Saivam," terming it as a feel good entertainer. They have appreciated director Vijay for a well written screenplay and the performances of all the actors have won accolades from them. The efforts taken by the technical team including G.V. Prakash (music) and Nirav Shah (camera work) have been commendable, said the critics.

Read the Review Roundups from Critics

Behindwoods Review Board says, "Vijay has an eye to capture emotions at their purest form – be it the chemistry between the cousins, the bond between the grandfather and granddaughter, the rivalry among siblings, or the love underlying the rivalry."

"In one scene, the brothers Senthil (Luthfudeen Basha) and Karthik (Rahil) fight it out to take ownership of a room in their grandfather's house, while in another, when Senthil is caught in a problem and left aloof, Karthik is the one who pacifies Senthil with his understanding pats. Such gentle moments make up Kathiresan's family and Vijay's 'Saivam'," the website stated.

Regarding the performances, Indiaglitz says, "Its a cakewalk for Nassar. Baby Sara (of 'Deivathirumagal' fame) has carried her role with finesse. Her expressions are as cute as ever. All other characters in the film are donned by either new comers or less popular artistes. Out of the lot Nassar's son Luthfudeen Basha gives a neat performance as a teenaged lover boy who keeps on seeking an opportunity to spend time with his aunt's daughter who is close to his heart."

"George as the servant and Malathi who plays his wife and the servant maid in the house steal the show with their comic timings and also perform in the only emotional scenes without any mistake. All others have given what is needed of their respective characters," the website stated.

On the technical crew, Rajasekar S of Cinemalead says, "After Vijay, GV Prakash's music and Nirav Shah's cinematography are the major pillars of the movie. GV Prakash has used different set of BGMs for different characters in the movie, for example we could hear a separate track whenever the adamant kid appear on screen."

"Similarly Nirav Shah's cinematography is gelled along with the film's flow and it doesn't stand out, that's how a good cinematography should be. Editing by Antony is good and the film's running time is just 2 hours, which is sure to help the movie at the box office," he said.

Verdict: Feel Good Entertainer