User reviews

Iraivan - Iraivi, The two extremities in gods, among humans are well portrayed with the characterizations etched by Kartik Subburaj. From the outset it hits the bulls's eye through its caption, 'A story about few woMENs'. Dealing about the dominance or the events revolving around women is always due to actions of their men. Kind of realistic feel to the society we live in.

S.J.Suryah - He deserves a special place in it. Though the theme revolves about the lives of women, Suryah was the best out of all. His screen presence and expressions went all the way through the audience claps & whistles. Surely the best he has done in terms of acting. Climax portions acclaims special mention.

Others - Vijay Sethupathy not in his regular eye-catchy role has done justice so as Bobby who completed his character with fit performance. Coming to the WOmen - Anjali, Kamalini, Pooja have all been given equal presence & scenes with enuf emotions to convey.

Verdict - Overall. This journey will never bore you out and everyone has something to take out of it. woMEN's may relate well to this work. Once again KARTIK SUBBURAJ!! Keep it Up.

Iraiva means God and Iraivi means Goddess, but it should have been Iraivigal which means Goddesses. This film talks about three women, who dream how their future should be. That's the opening, but the remaining film tells a different story. In this men dominated world, what is the part of women and their sufferings revealed in its nearly 2 and half hour long run.

So like the title implies, it is about women, but from the perspective of men who influence in their life. From all this, one thing I learnt was, Indian women yet to stand on their own feet. I mean India is one of the country that allowed the equal right for women, but they are unable to take the opportunity in the hands as something is blocking their way like men or culture maybe. So this film explains some of the facts which partially inspired by a book by Sujatha, 'Jannal Malar'.

Once again, I'm very disappointed with the film length for an Indian film. It was just too long, but this is a well patched story with the twist and turns all the way till the final scene. Filled with kind of unpredictable stuffs. The script was the first best thing from it, followed by the performances by all and then decent quality production.

As I mentioned earlier about the runtime, I'm upset with the unnecessary songs and dances as well. Those music video tracks killed the rhythm of the narration. It might be okay for an Indian viewer, but if you an international audience, that's totally annoying. Same thing happened to the director's previous film 'Jigarthanda' as well. I consider 'Pizza' was his best work in that perspective, yet all his three films, including this is a great achievement, that's betters the average of the Indian cinema standard.

When it comes to the actors, it's good to see SJ Surya after a long time in his best performance. Vijay Sethu nailed his part. His character was simply outstanding and so his other co-star Bobby Simha. But in the actress section, it was Anjali who ruled alone with the par to the performances of her well acclaimed earlier films. Overall, with the next generation actors, it is one of the best multi-starrer from the Kollywood. Movies like this once again makes me watch the Tamil films as I was once a regular follower. As stated a few things I did not like from the film, yet I enjoyed watching it, so surely recommended.

8.5/10

What a masterpiece never seen a movie like this in my life must and should watch guys please watch this movie once

Seriously no words can describe the spectacularity of this movie.Simply amazing movie with an in-depth Character study.I never thought Sj Surya would do a role this well.He has proved that he's not only a great director but also an excellent actor .Would be surprised if he doesn't get any award for this movie.Bobby simha was decent though he didn't have the scope to repeat his success of JIGARTHANDA movie and Vijay sethupathi was awesome as usual.The ladies in the movie have taken the movie to another level portraying the sad reality of most of the woman in this country. I don't want to spoil their effort by talking about their performances here because it need to be watched in the theatre and felt by ourselves.The Climax was the icing on the cake for drama movie lovers,It was mind boggling.And not to forget the music and the bgm was top notch. The director Karthik subburaj has already become a legend in the making with this movie . 10/10 wouldn't be good enough .I would give 20/10

The director has hit the bulls eye with his third film 'Iraivi' in conveying its feminist theme in a hard hitting manner.

Iraivi has a star studded cast that includes S.J.Suryah, Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha, Anjali, Kamalini Mukherjee, Pooja Devariya, Radharavi, Karunakaran, Vadivukkarasi, Cheenu Mohan and many more.

This is the 3rd movie for vijay sethupathy, bobby simha, karunakaran,santhosh narayanan and karthik subburaj together.

Iraivi has something deep that is best felt than explained.

The biggest pillar of support for Iraivi is its cast.

SJ Suryah, surely proves his mettle as an actor while vijay sethupathi fits right in the bar.

The important characters like Anjali, Kamalini Mukherjee, Pooja Devariya brings their acting skills on the table.

Only karthick subburaj can bring out the best in bobby simha.

Vijay Sethupathi has nabbed a role where he has to emote all possible emotions out there.

The movie hits right in the cord and will definitely win accolades. Karthick subburaj retains his status as a cult film-maker.

"Iraivi", literally means "Goddess". The title intelligently relates to two interlinked plots in the movie, that is the lives of female characters in the story, and a sub plot related to the theft of goddess statues from temples. A dejected film maker (SJ Surya) , his younger brother (Bobby Simha) and their loyal friend (Vijay Sethupathi) mess up their own lives due to their inability to control their rash and impulsive behaviours. In the process, they cause suffering to the women in their lives, unintentionally. In turn, the women face the dilemma between putting up with these troublesome men and the chance to rebuild their lives independently. The story ends in a tragedy with a message that friendship and loyalty should be within certain limits. SJ Surya is the show stealer with his portrayal as a chronic alcoholic. The climax scene showcases his brilliant histrionics. Bobby Simha has done a great job in his role as SJ Surya's vengeful brother who nurses hatred for men who disrespect women. Vijay Sethupathi also excels in his role as the erring husband and as the unquestioningly loyal friend who unwittingly ruins his own life. Kamalini Mukherjee, Anjali and Pooja Devariya do justice to their roles as women affected by the men in their lives. Veteran actress Vadivukarasi plays a cameo role as the bedridden comatose mother of SJ Surya and Bobby Simha, and Radha Ravi plays the role of her repentant husband. The first few minutes are not really appealing but the story gains depth as the narrative progresses. Director Karthik Subbaraj's wife appears in a cameo role as Kamalini Mukherjee's friend.

The movie starts with perspective of main character's and ends with same character's with different perspective.All the actress and actor's have done a excellent work.

This is one of those rare movies where, the second viewing will reveal many of the hidden clues which point to what is going to happen in the climax of the movie.

The director has handled the movie in such a class manner. This can very well be used as a perfect example movie for those who are interested in writing good scripts.

The story essentially is not a movie about women nor does it speak about feminism. It merely showcases what repercussions do the acts of some careless cause in the lives of the women around them and thereby making us want to give more attention on them in making our life decisions.

This definitely does not look like Direct Karthick Subbaraj's 3rd movie. He seems to have fair a great amount of talent inborn and also executes his ideas in a great manner.

After the horror-thriller Pizza (2012) and the gangster comedy- thriller Jigarthanda (2014), Karthik Subbaraj has become one of the most creative and talented directors in the Tamil film industry. This year, Subbaraj is back with his third venture titled Iraivi, which picks up the feminist concept. It stars S.J. Surya, Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha, Anjali, Kamalinee Mukherjee and Pooja Devariya in the lead roles. Actors Radharavi, Vadivukarasi and Karunakaran play other pivotal roles.

Simply said this is a story for men about women. Subbaraj has focused on women's needs and men's priorities. Towards the end there's a powerful message about love, lust, betrayal, family life, brotherhood and the difference between men and women's behavior, needs and lifestyles.

S.J. Surya plays Arul, an alcoholic who once was a successful film director. Due to some issues with his producer his latest film has trouble to get released. Bobby Simha plays Jagan, Arul's troubled younger brother, and Vijay Sethupathi plays Michael; Arul and Jagan's friend who got married against his own wish.

The actors, especially S.J. Surya and Vijay Sethupathi has given life to their characters and have done their parts really well. We all know that S.J. Surya is a successful film director who has directed films such as Vaali (1999), Kushi (2000) and New (2004), but his acting career didn't go so well. This film in the other hand is definitely a turning point in his acting career. Vijay Sethupathi, an actor who has a household name in the industry is brilliant as always, but in this movie we will feel pity for him for all the things he goes through. Kamalinee Mukherjee and Anjali who play Arul and Michael's wives did a phenomenal job with their roles. Pooja Devariya who has the least screen time in the film does her part well too.

The film was beautifully shot by newcomer Sivakumar Vijayan and Vivek Harshan's editing is neat as always. This is the third time Santhosh Narayanan has scored music for a Karthik Subbaraj film. We all have enjoyed collaborations such as K. Balachandar-Ilayaraja and Mani Ratnam-A.R. Rahman, and these guys have proved that they are the next duo in this legendary list. The tracks ''Kadhal Kappal'' and ''Manidhi'' deserve to be mentioned. ''Kadhal Kappal'' is another funfilled Tamil folk song by Santhosh Narayanan which is mixed with old school jazz that has a catchy melody supported by guitar, strings and earthly rhythm section. ''Manidhi'' is an admirable feel-good song about hope and humanity which is played in the background in the climax scene. If you can easily get emotional, this scene will make you walk out of the theater with tears.

The only thing that I find negative about this film is its length. If they had cut out 10-15 minutes of the film, it could have kept the audience more engaging.

If you are looking forward to see another cult classic thriller film by Karthik Subbaraj, then this is definitely not a movie for you. This one is a family oriented drama, but a bold film which has a topic we rarely see in Tamil cinema.

Firstly, I have to tell Karthik subbaraj is a genius.I could see this movie is definitely an inspiration from some Hollywood films and one film in particular which is "legends of the fall" but the director has cleverly tweaked as per tamil sensibilities and given a masterpiece of a film.The story is very unique and very relatable to the whole world.

The film has a dark feel to it and the way it has been shot is simply mesmerizing. Kudos to the DOP. His is a major contribution which makes the movie immensely likable.

SJ surya, vijay sethupathi and Anjali have given power packed performances and it elevates the film to a new level. Anjali lives the role and you cant think of anyone other than vijay sethupathi in his role which he nails it. SJ surya is the surprise packet and boy o boy he doesn't disappoint.

The most beautiful thing about this film is I was seeing what i wanted to see and it was so refreshing that i began writing a review for this film despite being the laziest person ever born in the universe.Mr subbaraj, keep them coming man. you are one hell of a talent and please make at least 2 films in a year.Then lastly music and the bgm were awesome as well.

Titled as Iraivi, the movie begins with a gentle note on dreams of women on their married life.

Then comes the worst case scenario, when they get married to men with poor character. A man with career failure - goes dipsomaniac; A man with love failure - Goes more aggressive than usual all time. A series of aggressive decision and action leads to lot of hiccups throughout their lives. And when their women try to redeem them, who wins the battle (for the same result) form the rest of the story.

SJ Surya has given a stand-out performance, obviously the best of him till date. Vijay Sethupathi and Bobby simha have done their job as second fiddle properly. All the three Iraivis have done justice to their role with the amount of screen time they got.

The songs in this movie didn't make big, but when watched along with the movie, looks good. Whatsoever, Santhosh Narayan have not disappointed when it comes to BGM, to be precise.

What happens to women in a family when men takes pathetic decisions without keeping his family in mind, will possibly be a suitable theme of the movie.

Even though the theme sounds simple, Director Karthik Subbaraj has stuck to his usual way of delivery, and possibly would have researched for the most unusual incidents and desperate savage results to convey a social message. Possibly because of that, the movie lags in the second half. Mixed views on this movie is obviously possible as it talks about relationships, degrading men's image. But there are lot of positives to carry on the other side of the coin.

VERDICT: If you are ready to take a message on relationships, do watch it.

CAUTION: Its a weepie...!!!

Director Karthik Subburaj on his third venture "Iraivi" has taken feminism as his subject which is very evident in the title itself (Iraivi less used word in Tamil which means Goddess). So taken feminism in hand whether are we going to open up to a plot which boasts women bravery or women excellence? The answer is certainly a big "NO". The subject is totally handled in subtly in a way we see more anti- feminism acts leading to an understanding of how to celebrate Women hood.

The plot seems like an abstract or contemporary art and is ready to offer so many like sympathies on submissive female life in the institution of marriage, difficulty in releasing a movie from a director's point of view, pre-marital, post-marital relationship, a typical women south Indian women expectations and how it turns out in reality, a man's take on a woman after marriage, Idol smuggling etc confusing isn't? Yes, it is. But the rendition intense, dark and violent in all the way for sure. I would say the screenplay is a big minus for the movie it gets complicated in the sense loses grip then and there and takes twists and turns in an erratic way. There is always a confusion on what the director is trying to convey here whether it may be about male arrogance, supremacy or women becoming collateral damage due to male domination or does it talk about releasing a film is a big task as a director. Being a multi-starer movie the movie lags a big way characterization or establishment of characters where we are focused only with two or three characters in a great way but the all of sudden towards the end the support characters are highlighted.

Performances by SJS and Vijay Sethupathi stands out. Anjali and Pooja Devaraiya on the females scores in a big way. I am not a Bobby Simha fan though always feel he is one over-rated actor but he has delivered decently. So many other support cast (like Ravi, Kamalini, vaidivukarasi, Karunakaran) were wasted without proper character establishment. Music by Santhosh was supporting but more support from old Ilayarajja nos were there in the movie.

Overall it is a complicated rendition with lots of heaviness on subject not easy for a normal viewer and length was 160 mins I suppose is too much to sit. My rating would be 5.5 on 10.

Iraivi (2016): Karthik Subbaraj emerged as true gem for Indian Cinema in less time.He gave back to back critically acclaimed movies and his new movie Iraivi also got the same reception.I had huge expectations on Iraivi as I am a huge fan of Karthik Subbaraj.His movies Pizza and Jigarthanda are my favorite movies and I expected same from his Iraivi.How is it??

Plot: The story revolves around 3 men, Arul (SJ Surya), Jagan (Bobby Simha), who are brothers, and Micheal (Vijay Sethupathi) who is very close to them and considered a brother. Arul is a struggling director who becomes an alcoholic due to a fall out with his producer. This causes conflicts between him and his wife Yalini(Kamilinee Mukharjee). Jagan is a college student who frequently gets into fights and displays strong feminist views when drunk. He smuggles priceless statues every now and then, along with Micheal. Micheal, who was in a physical relationship gets married to another woman from an orthodox background. Micheal and his wife Ponni (Anjali) face conflicts due to his 'nosy' involvement in the brothers' problems. The plot unfolds as Arul's wife demands divorce, Micheal's wife becomes pregnant, and Jagan leads Micheal and a few others through another smuggling so as to obtain enough money to release Arul's film..

Plus Points:

1)Performances: Iraivi is one of the rare movies where everyone has important role to play in movie and everyone of them excelled in their respective roles.SJ Surya deserves a award as he gave brilliant performance as a struggling director who is drunkard.He shines in every scene he appears and deserves a huge applause.Vijay Sethupathi did very well as usual.Bobby Simha gave good performance and even looked handsome.From actress,both Kamilnee and Anjali gave wonderful performance.

2)Screenplay and Direction: Karthik Subbaraj deserves a special mention as he selected an entirely different theme which deals with feminism and their problems.This movie deals with men's actions affecting their wife's life.He showcased it very well with interesting scenes.Generally screenplay for these movies are hard to maintain but Karthik did splendidly well.

3)Music: Santhish Narayan never disappoints and the same happened here.He gave brilliant BGM and songs.Dhushta song is awesome and even its visual is perfect

Minus Points:

1)Many subplots: Iraivi has no specific story but it deals with lives of our lead characters.There are many subplots in this movie which is quite messy.But Karthik never let the movie become slow but this movie is not for everyone.

So Iraivi is a well crafted dark drama with brilliant performances and music and direction.

My rating 7.5/10

Iraivi ( Goddess) Director: Karthik Subbaraj Cast: SJ Suryah, Kamalinee Mukherjee, Anjali, Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha, Pooja Devriya, Cheenu Mohan Music: Santhosh Narayanan Cinematography : Sivakumar Vijayan

" Manidhi Velliye va" Ratings: (8/10)

From the title itself its clear that the film is about feminism.

Three men who is trying to solve their problems without knowing its effect that cause to their women., Anger,Frustration,Ego the uncontrolled feeling of men is well showned by Karthik.

The previous wonderful works of karthik like Piza, Jigarthanda showed his perfect direction Now the Iraivi is the evidence of his writing power. Its almost like a transition from a armature stage to Professional. He took a serious subject and succeed what he aimed.

The character "Director Arul" played by SJ Suriya just stolen the entire show, as usual Vijay sethupathi delivered his best as "michael" who always stand with Arul family. "Jegan" the brother of Arul by Boby simha, who is aware about what women need or what they deserve really.

On the other side it showing three different women who are in different stages. Ponni as anjali playing school girl, kamalini as an IT girl who is about to marry Arul, then Malarvizhi she is a widow.

The narration of the movie is not fast, it give enough time to breath & understand each frames.

Visual by Sivakumar Vijayan is just extremely impressive, in one scene kamalini is supposed to compare the freedom,liberty with the rain, " we can enjoy the rain but after drench its hard, Its the same for freedom." in this scene sivakumar showned two cups that placed overturned in the rain & the other visual signifiers like a prison dress falling from the clothesline to indicate the release of a character from prison.

About BGM by Sandhosh Narayan Just that name is enough, once again he elevates the movie to the next level. The song " Manidhi Velliye Va.. " is fabulousm, the remaining songs felt just OK.

Iraivi = Karthik Narration + through the eye of Sivakumar + well packed and modulated by Sandhosh + Classic Cut by Vivek Harshan's.

First of all, one must have lots of guts to accept such a movie and also act really good in it. KS has done a clean screenplay i.e he has managed to make the screenplay understandable to all sort of audiences.Everyone had plenty of expectations before it got released because of his previous dual amazing movies. Few were disappointed after watching. Maybe because they expected a huge twist in the climax like Jigardhanda or Pizza...sorry boss this is not a thriller, its a drama. Few people said it had a lot of vulgar scenes. I would agree that it had few scenes which kids must surely not watch and could have been given a A certificate than a UA. But to show some reality, movie makers in India must do that. Sj surya was praised for his acting which he truly deserves because he did some sort of a good performance in it. Bobby Simha should improve more on his pronunciations as well as on his expressions. Vj sethupathi indeed did a good performance out there. But I wish he reduces his speed of dialogue delivery for better comprehending of what he is saying. Anjali at last has done a good performance which she should have done long ago. Cheenu Mohan was not credited much but his performance stands out even after you leave the theatre.Music was a bit good at times and a disaster at certain places. Please Santhosh try giving good singers with good voice some chance and don't sing all the songs on your own. Overall it is worth the watch. Go without expectations and you will surely like it. But please don't take kids to this movie cause you will be having a hard time watching it

Very raw acting by sj Surya .the movie was unpredictable one time watchable .all should watch

There is a dialogue in the movie which goes something like this. "A good movie must emote, educate and entertain the audience". If you agree with this philosophy, then this movie deserves a rating of 10. If you watch the movie the second time knowing the ending, every scene would hit you hard. Loved every minute of the movie.

Starts with an outpour, ends with an outpour.

Outpour of emotions, unsettling moments, helplessness, hopelessness and whatnot! Extremely brilliant captivation of each and every character in the movie. Kudos to direction, cinematography and art direction. Top notch work is music which has Manidhi as my fav. Track. Movie doesn't have much commercial or theatre erupting scenes but it is filled with moments which are perfectly true for the situation and the very base idea of the title - Iraivi. This movie is not a celebration of women but talks exactly what women-hood is.

My most fav. Character is Ponni played by Anjali which is award worthy in all sense. Cast was so perfect that, none of them seem like a misfit or less efficient in-their own space. Movie is definitely a once in a decade kind of a movie that takes such a subject and stands true to its core idea.

Personal Note: Watched this in theaters back in 2016 when it was released and I assume I missed so many details. Did a revisit and Man, what a making, Mr. Karthik Subburaj. Hats off to you and the entire team.

What A Movie Excellent Screenplay Every Scenes Story All Stars Performances Are Unbelievable In Simple Words Sacrifice Is Common To Both Man And Woman A Must Watch To Everyone Atleast Once In Our Lifetime.

Karthik subbaraj is best in writing. Top notch Performances brings more Flavour to it. Terrific screenplay. Colour grading is too good. SJ Surya.. omg what an actor he is. His best comes in climax sequences. Vijay Sethupathi ,Bobby simha ,Anjali , Kamalinee everybody is so Perfect in their roles. Sound mixing and Editing are good. Bgm elevates even dull sequences. I hardly found them. Must watch. Highly recommended

Iraivi literally means "Goddess", it's a moral ordeal of male chauvinism. Director-Writer Karthik Subbaraj blends explicit as well as subtle metaphors while portraying the collateral damage upon women by inflated male egos. Writing unsympathetic characters and leading them towards denouncement through simple visual inventiveness - for example, the prison uniform falling from the clothespin depicting release of the prisoner. Throughout the film, women characters are juxtaposed with rains (fertile change) and windows (opening and illumination of darkness).

He mounts an unpredictable trajectory of the characters, it's the same unpredictable nature as in his previous ventures - Jigarthanda (2014) and Pizza (2012). This unpredictable trajectory is uplifted by seamless meaningful intercuts between the plight of characters. This is the women empowerment venture which lends sense and sensibility of freedom as the characters are ironically freed due to inflated male egos. There's a resolution which leaves a lump in the throat and there's closure which leaves void, the power of cinema reflects the real ordeal.

And the film gave an insight about SJ Suryah who plays a filmmaker, he literally beholds every frame through his nuanced gestures.