Irumbu Manithan (transl. Iron Man) is a 2020 Tamil language film written and directed by Disney and produced by Joseph Baby. The film stars Santhosh Prathap and Archana in the lead roles, while Ganja Karuppu and Madhusudhan Rao play supporting roles. The music was composed by K. S. Manoj with cinematography by K. Gokul and editing by S. P. Ahamed. The film released on 28 February 2020.
Plot
A reporter, Anitha Sampath, interview Munikannan, Sundaram's long time friend and hostel manager, prior to the government honouring an award for Mr Sundaram to reveal Sundaram's life story and what he has done to receive this award.
Past: Sundaram is a happy-go-lucky man who lives with three boys. One night, Munikannan, a hungry thief, goes to Sundaram's food shop and looks for some food. He eats the parotta left for the rat. Sundaram goes to apprehend Munikannan, but he faints. Sundaram eventually wakes up Munikannan and asks him to pay for the parotta. Since he does not have any money, Sundaram makes Munikannan wash the vessels in the kitchen.
Sundaram always packs food for the homeless people and enjoys them eating the food. Munikannan reveals why he does that. As an 8-year-old child, Sundaram was very hungry since no one fed him food. While he is walking in the fields, he spots a 40-year-old homeless man eating his own faeces and begins vomiting. Sundaram, in his 30s, then becomes a parotta cook in a kitchen. A customer becomes impressed with the parotta, and gifts him a gold watch.
Madhusoodhanan has a smart plan of usurping hotels and restaurants in the town. Sundaram falls in love with a girl, Thenmozhi, and she eventually reciprocates. Madhusoodhanan visits Sundaram's hotel and tries to usurp his restaurant, but Sundaram sends him out. Madhusoodhanan warns Sundaram giving him seven days to change his decision and the restaurant board. Thenmozhi eventually proposes to Sundaram because of his good-hearted nature.
Sundaram visits Thenmozhi's family and reveals how he got his three boys. Sundaram adopted two young baby boys from the local church and names them Ramesh and Mahesh, and the third boy, Suresh, was from a pregnant lady who died after childbirth. Sundaram forgets to give the ring, and overhears Thenmozhi talking to her friend about how she will kick the orphans out after their marriage. She also insults Sundaram for adopting the boys. Sundaram goes back to see his restaurant on fire.
Madhusoodhanan apologies for setting his hotel on fire and warns to look after his kids otherwise he will kill them. Sundaram threatens to kill Madhusoodhanan, so he hires goons to kill Sundaram, but Sundaram fights them. Sundaram calls off the marriage so Thenmozhi tries apologising to Sundaram, but he does not forgive her, therefore she gets married to someone else.
Twenty years later, Sundaram's kids grow up to be adults. They are irresponsible and spend their father's money to drink and party. One day, Mahesh meets his girlfriend's father, who happens to be Madhusoodhanan, and becomes jealous. Munikannan spots Mahesh stealing his father's money, but Mahesh ignores Munikannan’s lament.
Sundaram faints after inhaling kitchen smoke. Sundaram's boys then get Sundaram to sign a document. Sundaram confronts the boys angrily but Madhusoodhanan's goons beat and Mahesh kicks him out of his own business. Mahdusoodhanan reveals that Sundaram had signed a document splitting all the value of his assets (i.e. hotel, house, bank balance) to his three kids. Sundaram stays with Munikannan's family.
Sundaram gets inspired when a shopkeeper says that in the old days, food was the medicine. He decides to open a restaurant serving healthy food. Sundaram’s friend, the friendly customer, gifts him an old derelict van, and they repair it and open it as a restaurant. Madhusoodhanan’s business falls into despair, and Sundaram's business flourishes to big heights. Mahesh, Madhusoodhanan, Ramesh and Suresh apologise to Sundaram but he decides to not help them. Sundaram eventually buys Ramesh, Mahesh and Suresh's properties at the auction. Sundaram eventually gets a massive brain stroke after having an argument with Munikannan
Present: Munikannan tells that Sundaram succumbed to his brain stroke and died. Munikannan accepts the award on Sundaram's behalf. Munikannan gives Suresh, Ramesh and Mahesh gives them a file, narrating that Sundaram leaves them a house that cannot be sold and Rs. 5 crore. Munikannan reveals the truth that they are not Sundaram's biological children and tells their past. Munikannan tells that Sundaram promised him not to tell the truth, but he decides to tell them. Mahesh, Ramesh and Suresh reform their ways, and begin look after Sundaram's business as well as the residents of Sundaram's retirement home.
Director Disney began working on a film that will take place in several time periods.[1] This was his second film after Naan Sivanagiren (2011), which he directed under the name Gnanasekar.[2] Archana, who was a part of Disney's unreleased Kuttram Purinthal, is a part of this film. Santhosh Prathap, Ganja Karuppu, and Madhusudhan Rao sport several looks in the film.[3]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by K. S. Manoj, collaborating with director Disney for the second time after Naan Sivanagiren.[4]Silambarasan edited and sang the folk song "Don't Worry Pullingo".[5] The song lyrics are written by Disney, Mohan Rajan, and Niranjan Bharathi.[6]
The film was released on 28 February 2020. The Times of India gave the film 1.5 stars out of five stars and criticized Sundaram's character arc while praising Ganja Karuppu's portrayal of Friday.[7]Dina Thanthi praised the acting, direction, and story.[8]Maalaimalar praised the film as a whole.[9]
