Teetering on temple town

Madurai, the temple town, has become the newfound land for Kollywood’s dream merchants. No wonder deja vu swamps you as debutant director Gaurav’s Thoonga Nagaram unfolds.

With nothing novel, Nagaram is another tour de force into violence and vendetta with Madurai providing a convenient canvas. There are twists and turns galore as Gaurav snakes through the nooks and niches of the holy city, prolonging your suffering.

Narrated in flashback, Nagaram is about a foursome — Kannan, Rajamani, Ayyavu and Mariappian, drawn from diverse calling, who bond over booze, but are sent adrift after one murderous night. They are snared between loyalty and betrayal trying to save their skin from goons tracking them.

Suffice to say, Gaurav, playing twin roles of director and actor, renders both tasks tortuous for viewers who snore away to glory.