Plot
Selvi is a telephone servicing person who services telephones. Manohar is a photographer and the son of a rich estate owner named Sivashankaran, and Sankara is his secretary. One day Manohar accidentally takes a picture of Selvi without her permission and Manohar apologizes for his action. Serendipitously Selvi ends up meeting Manohar at his residence when she comes to clean the telephone.
In the meantime, Varadha, an ill-intentioned fraudster plans on a scheme to change his accomplice Vajravel's face to Manohar's face through plastic surgery and steal Sivashankaran's estate. He convinces Vajravel to go through plastic surgery. However, Vajravel's wife who overhears the plan disapproved to no avail.
Manohar falls in love with Selvi and sends a message through his secretary. Sivashankaran agrees to the marriage and proceeds with the preparation. Puniyakodi a marriage broker known to Selvi's mom demands a brokerage commission in spite of not being involved in the alliance and Selvi's mom does not pay him. He decides to scuttle the wedding by starting a rumor that Selvi is a tuberculosis patient to Sivashankaran. Manohar's mother tries to convince him and the engagement is called off. Selvi comes to confront and ask for the reason and Sivashankaran does not respond and sends her off without providing a reason.
Meanwhile, Vajravel goes through plastic surgery and changes his face to appear like Manohar's face. Though Sivashankaran does not agree to the wedding, Manohar decides to marry Selvi legally without his parents' knowledge. Varadha takes this opportunity and decides to switch Vajravel for Manohar but Vajravel, now looking like Manohar, is beaten by thugs on his way to Manohar's house. Manohar returns to his home to confront Selvi's mother who is arranging for another marriage for Selvi. Not knowing the situation of Vajravel, Varadha calls Sivashankaran's house to talk to Vajravel. However, Manohar had returned home and takes the call but does not know who Varadha is. Varadha believes that Vajravel had double-crossed him and fumes with anger. Manohar comes over to meet Varadha and scuffles ensues where Varadha is beaten up by Manohar, though Varadha thinks it was Vajravel who beat him up.
As this happens, Sivashankaran receives a phone call from the police mentioning that their son was beaten up by thugs and that the police are taking care of him. However, recall that this is Vajravel who had taken possession of Manohar's wallet and diary and was beaten up by the thugs.
Confusion follows at Sivashankaran's house, and they all conclude the real Manohar as fake and believe the one with the police is indeed the real Manohoran. Everyone confronts Manohar and they do not believe him and assume he is an imposter.
Kamala, an old friend of Selvi comes to share her sad story of marrying someone whom she thought was an honest man. Kamala further shares the secret plan hatched by Varadha where Vajravel, following plastic surgery, switches to Manohar. As promised, Manohar comes to meet Selvi, and she believes that he is Vajravel and convinces Manohar to get back with Kamala.
Kamala too believes Manohar is indeed the Vajravel after plastic surgery. Manohar goes along with the supposed switch and takes Kamala with him. He takes her to his childhood guardian to prove that he is indeed Manohar.
At Sivashankaran's residence, Vajravel, now looking like Manohar and pretending to have temporary memory loss, arrives beaten up and every one believe that he is indeed Manohar. On his way to get the medicine for the recovering Vajravel, Sankara, Manohar's secretary comes across the marriage broker who tells his modus operandi to break engagements. Realizing that the broker had lied and broke the alliance between Manohar and Selvi, Sankara bring the broker to Sivashankaran's house where he confesses to Sivashankaran. Manohar's mother invites Selvi back to meet Vajravel who now appears like Manohar.
Meanwhile Manohar asks his guardian to take Kamala to meet Vajravel who is disguised as Manohar at Sivashankaran's home. Kamala realizes the switch and begs Vajravel to get back, but he refuses. Distraught Kamala gets back to Manohar. Manohar promises to get them both together.
Selvi takes Vajravel to rekindle his memory but being Vajravel he does not recall what happened between Selvi and Manohar. When they return, they find, Manohar who arrived in disguise as Sivashankaran's long last uncle. Manohar, now pretending to be Sivashankaran's uncle decides to stay in the room adjacent to Vajravel. On one occasion, Manohar takes Selvi out and cautions her not to get fooled when he misbehaves.
In the midst of this, Sivashankaran's real uncle turns up exposing Manohar's disguise. Noticing this Manohar escapes from Sivashankaran's home and take Kamala from his guardian's home and proceeds to infiltrate Varadha's gang which they successfully do. At home, both Selvi and Sankara start doubting if Vajravel was indeed Manohar as Vajravel could not play mouth organ and show interest in photography, both are dear to Manohar, but not to Vajravel. Vajravel comes to visit Varadha and thus exposing Manohar who is currently being safe guarded by Varadha. Varadha realizes that he has been duped and try to confront Manohar, but he escapes with Kamala.
On the following day during the wedding, Manohar cooks up a plan to switch Vajravel and sit instead of him. However, Varadha figures out the switch and brings back Vajravel telling everyone that he is the real Manohar. Both Selvi and Kamala try to identify but could not. At that time the plastic surgeon comes and tells that the acid he has will revert the surgery but cautions that if it was smeared on the one without the surgery, it will eat up the skin.
Manohar picks up the acid and smears on Vajravel reverting his plastic surgery and exposing him. Manohar forgives Vajravel who becomes an approver in the case against Varadha who was it turns out to be the Sivashankaran's former estate manager.
The movie ends with both Manohar and Selvi getting married and Vajravel and Kamala getting back together.
Production
The film was inspired by the 1934 and 1956 film versions of the novel The Man Who Knew Too Much. It was initially titled Ellam Arintha Manithan (transl. All Knowing Man), but Ramachandran objected as he felt it was "too pompous" and "big". He suggested Aasai Mugam, and that was chosen.[1] K. P. Ramakrishnan served as Ramachandran's body double.[2]
Release and reception
Aasai Mugam was released on 10 December 1965.[5] T. M. Ramachandran of Sport and Pastime wrote "The film moves in such a fast manner that it sustains the interest of the audience throughout. The deft hand of veteran P. Pulliah can be seen in every foot of the film".[6] The Indian Express negatively reviewed the film, but praised the performances of Ramachandran and Saroja Devi, despite feeling their roles were not well written.[7] Kalki praised Ramachandran for showing diversity in the three roles he enacted.[8]
