Periyar

With leading roles done by Satyaraj, Jyothirmayi and Khushbu, the movie is about the life of the revolutionary Tamil leader Periyar. He brought many changes to politics and society's thoughts and beliefs. The most famous one was probably bringing in a different type of Tamil writing, known as Periyar Tamil.
Periyar is born in a Telugu trader community. He is not religious, an atheist who tries to bring much sadness to his parents, who are deeply religious and caste conscious. Yet overtime he does things to upset them and eventually leaves the house as a youth. After a long trip (which people would think to be religious), he is found by his father and taken back home.
Now Periyar becomes a big man in his area and starts getting involved in politics, freedom fighting against the British and things as such. He gets his family involved and also makes many enemies. He feels opposition and yet, he continues to strive what he was committed to.
Eventually his dream comes true with the help of multitudes of other Indians. He still continues to hold an important status, until he dies.
I thought the story would be interesting, with well incorporated cheesy dialogues, but it was quite the drag for an unbearably long time and with a character who seemed very hypocritic. I'm not sure if Periyar was truly as he was portrayed, but he seemed like an evil man, more than a good one. He persisted in lying, while he claimed he was fighting against deception in the society. He supported the Indian freedom fighiting with maintaining Indian culture and stuff like that, yet he was against religious things that many people had their faith in. I could have accepted him, if he had been a true leader in using what people had faith in, to teach them good. Such as using the scriptures to apply in present day situation and things as such, instead of openly stamping on them.
A tolerable movie that could have been better. But considering it was financially supported by the current government, it is not surprising that the movie might have been attuned to their beliefs and ideals instead of what the leader truly was.