Movies

Aunty 420 (Avvai Shanmughi)

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Synopsis

Avvai Shanmugi is a 1996 Tamil comedy film inspired by the English-language film Mrs Doubtfire starring Robin Williams. It was directed by K. S. Ravikumar and written by Crazy Mohan. The film features Kamal Haasan in the lead role role with Meena, Gemini Ganesan, Nagesh, Heera, Manivannan and Nassar.

Plot: The film starts in a courtroom where a woman Janaki (Meena) is fighting for divorce from her husband Pandian (Kamal Haasan). She offers various reasons for wanting a divorce. She has married Pandian against the wishes of her rich father Vishwanathan Iyer (Gemini Ganesan). But she isn't able to come to terms with living in Pandian's small house without amenities. Pandian is an assistant dance director with a modest income and is not able to spend much time with the family. All this accumulates and Janaki decides to apply for divorce, which is granted. The court orders that Pandian can meet his daughter Barathi, once a week and this is his only solace. His daughter, however, loves him a lot and doesn't like the arrangement. Basha (Nassar), Pandian's Muslim friend who works in a hotel as a chef, advises him to steal his daughter from Janaki. Pandian goes about trying to do as his friend suggests. In doing so, he is discovered; and now he cannot meet her at all. Then Pandian finds out that Vishwanathan Iyer has advertised for a woman to look after his granddaughter. Joseph (Nagesh) is a makeup man in films. In conversation with him, Pandian gets the idea of playing an old woman, so that he can be with his child and ex-wife without knowing them. Joseph agrees to this plan and the transformation is done from Pandian to "Avvai Shanmugi"-- (Kamal Haasan) a dignified, elderly Iyer woman. She applies for the job, but is rejected as another woman had been chosen. When Barathi is hurt shooting fireworks & catches on fire, Shanmugi throws her into a pond against the wishes of the household, who believe that wrapping in woolens is the proper way to put out a fire. When a doctor comes to take a look at Barathi's wound, he praises Shanmugi for administering the right treatment, which causes the family to dismiss the other girl and hire Shanmugi. When Barathi gets to properly meet Shanmugi, she recognizes her as Pandian almost immediately, as she could recognize her father's smell. Pandian begs her not to reveal his secret, to which she happily agrees.

Rathna (Heera Rajgopal) is a girl who is in love with Pandian, but is constantly rebuffed. Basha takes up the role of a mute Iyer cook and is admitted into Vishwanathan Iyer's house on the recommendation of Shanmugi. However, Basha is caught later while doing his namaz, thereby shattering both lies—that he is mute and an Iyer. Hilarious circumstances follow and slowly Shanmugi manages to convince the household of her sincerity. So much so that Janaki's widowed father begins to develop a liking for Shanmugi and in fact proposes to her too. Around the same time, Mudaliyar (Manivannan), the house-owner of the place where Pandian lives, sympathizing with her for being a widow, happens to bump into Shanmugi. This happens many times and Mudaliyar, too, begins to develop a liking for her.

Meanwhile, Pandian slowly begins to realize that Janaki hasn't totally forgotten him. Shanmugi rebuffs Vishwanathan's proposals by saying that her husband is alive. Adding to the chaos, she tells Vishwanathan that Joseph is her husband; while Pandian tells Sethurama (Delhi Ganesh), Vishwanathan's secretary, that Mudaliyar is Shanumgi's husband. There is much confusion after this, but it is resolved at last. Avvai Shanmugi convinces Vishwanathan that Janaki's right place is by her husband. While Janaki's father goes off to talk to his estranged son-in-law, Shanmugi reveals her true self as Pandian to Basha by removing her blouse. This is seen by Janaki, who misunderstands the scene and believes Shanmugi to be a seductress. Janaki goes to Pandian's house to reclaim him, but upon seeing Rathna waiting there, and Shanmugi's clothes lying around, thinks that her husband, too, is promiscuous. Janaki leaves and attempts suicide by trying to jump into a river, but Shanmugi stops her. Shanmugi reveals her identity as Pandian. Janaki and Pandian reconcile, while Pandian kills off Shanmugi by attributing her death to drowning while attempting to save Janaki from committing suicide.