The life of Panja, an orphan and a sculptor, revolves around Sathish, Othavada, Kuppan and Sammy, all of whom reside in Mahabalipuram and are close to each other. The only other person Panja considers himself close is Durai, a politician and criminal, who saved him from death when he was a boy. Panja shows his gratitude to Durai by occasionally helping him with his anti-social activities. When Sathish chooses to marry the love of his life, Sangeetha , much against the wishes of their parents, his four friends help him do so. Life is pleasant for a while with Panja too falling in love with Mahalakshmi a college student who moves into the area. However, their lives take a tumultuous turn when the friends chance upon a sleaze video which shocks them out of their wits and results in the death of the newly wed couple. Soon, more dark deeds and disturbing developments follow...
Mahabalipuram starts off on a slow note but by the time it ends, it leaves one startled and shattered. Seldom has a story in recent times been told in such a gripping fashion that it makes it hard for one not to compliment director Don Sandy for his efforts.
The film, through a touching love story, highlights not just dangerous crimes that prevail in society today but also seeks to draw the attention of the public in general and women in particular to a serious problem posed by tech-savvy criminals. It makes an honest attempt to delve into the minds of criminals and deals with a pressing issue of society in recent times.
While the film might itself deal with dark elements like deceit, exploitation, backstabbing, and dangerous crimes, it is not completely devoid of entertainment - a case in point being a funny episode that is showcased in the first half of the film when Panja makes an attempt to get close to his lady love. Getting to know she loves bajjis, he poses to be a bajji seller. The manner in which his friends keep relocating his shop in a bid to catch her attention is really funny.
Some exceptional work by the film's music director K and really tight editing by its editor Kim Aam seem to have lent the director a hand in raising the quality of the film. The work of cameraman Chandran Pattuswamy also cannot be ignored in this regard.
One other factor that seems to have worked in favour of Mahabalipuram is its cast. Almost all the actors in the film deliver big time, causing the film to have a telling impact on its audience. Standing out are Virthika, whose role as Mahalakshmi, and Vinayak, whose role as Panja, leave a lump in your throat by the time the film ends.
The manner in which all the knots are tied off at the end gives the impression that director Don Sandy is one who knows his profession well. He deserves full marks for having made a film that not only scores as an entertainer but also seeks to create an awareness on a form of crime that society urgently needs to address.
