Action star Dr Rajsekar plays a peace-loving hero for the first time in his career in Ayudham. And he does it well. But even he cannot save the film.

Director Shankar, who has helmed films like Jeyam Mandare (Venkatesh, Soundarya) and Bhadrachalam (Srihari), is at fault for coming up an extremely tacky script.

Rajsekar plays a brilliant scientist who has invented an inexpensive bio-pesticide. What no one knows is that he has killed the son of a well-to-do industrialist.

When the going gets too hot, Rajsekar escapes to his hometown. Meanwhile, debutante Gurlin Chopra, who plays the daughter of his archrival Mohan Raj, falls in love with him. He, too, loves her but is flummoxed by the third angle in the triangle, his niece, Sangitha.

In the city, special officer Kalabavan Mani is given the task of nabbing the killer. Even as he sets about doing so, Rajsekar commits a second murder. The chemicals used for the murder makes Mani suspect him.

Life becomes even more difficult for Rajsekar when Raj accuses him of having killed his son, Sivaji. Which is when a flashback reveals the reason behind Rajsekar's murderous behaviour.

Sivaji and Rajsekar's sister were in love with each other and planned to get married. Rajsekar, who saw this as a way of ending the feud between his and Sivaji's families, supported them.

When the couple are murdered, Rajsekar swears revenge. At the same time, he will do anything to keep the peace in his home town -- vide the instance when, in the interests of peace and the prosperity of his fellow villagers, he goes down on his knees before Raj for permission to build a reservoir even though it earns him the wrath of his bloodthirsty father, Suryaprakash Reddy.

If that is not complicated enough, here are some questions to ponder over. Do the two warring families unite? Do Rajsekar and Gurlin marry? What happens to Sagitha? Does Mani succeed in his mission? And, most importantly, will justice -- either in the filmi fashion or as an example of what happens when one goes around killing people -- prevail?

Dr Rajsekar, who had bounced back with average grosser, Bharatasimhareddy, cannot hope to see Ayudham do well at the box office.

Going by their roles, Sangita and Gurlin seem to be limited to the task of dancing to Rajsekar's tunes.

Composer Vandemataram Srinivas' music is nothing to write home about.

Shankar, who has delivered a series of hits, has made a hash with his experiment with peace. Unlike his earlier films, Ayudham does not have a taut script. Besides, the songs and the cheap comedy dilute what is supposed to be a celebration of humanism.

CREDITS
Cast: Dr Rajsekar, Gurlin Chopra, Sangitha, Suryaprakash Reddy, Mohan Raj, Kalabavan Mani, Sivaji
Producer: Gajju Srinivas
Director, story, screenplay: N Shankar
Music: Vandemataram Srinivas