Classics are better left alone and Seenu, a remake of Bharatham, offers the latest justification for this. The Malayalam original was marked by stunning performances(Mohanlal won a National award for his) and superb songs and packed a heartbreaking emotional wallop. The tamil version comes up short on all of this and then some. While it might provide average entertainment for viewers who haven't watched Bharatham, those who have are warned to keep away from Seenu so that their memories of that classic are not smudged.

Kesavan(P.Vasu) is a famous singer while his younger brother Seenu(Karthik) spends his time picking fights with people who speak ill of Kesavan. This is a constant source of irritation to everyone in the family. Kesavan slowly becomes a slave to drinks which affects his ability to sing. When this happens at a concert, Seenu fills in for him and sings. While he intended this to be a one-time affair, his singing catches the public's fancy and he becomes more popular than Kesavan. This makes Kesavan jealous.

When the fact that the movie is a remake is well-known, comparisons to the original are inevitable and that is Seenu's biggest drawback. When even movies like Appu and Sudhandhiram came up short when compared with their sources(Sadak and Ghulam respectively, which were no classics), it is no surprise that Seenu positively pales in comparison with Bharatham. Lacklustre performances, unnecessary fights, unsuitable song sequences and cheap comedy are the ingredients of this remake. Furthermore, the climax of Bharatham, easily its strongpoint and most emotional sequence, has already been copied in Aaha, which further diminishes its impact here.

Neither Karthik nor P.Vasu adequately convey the emotions that would shed light on the strong bond of affection that exists between them. The screenplay doesn't do much for this either with a couple of fight sequences for Karthik(when he hears people criticise his brother) being the only clue. So the emergence of jealousy in Vasu's mind never makes the intended impact. The use of a tatoo to finally make Vasu realise the error in his ways is also quite childish. The bond of affection between the younger brother and the elder brother's wife, a key aspect of the original, is also not explored enough and this diminishes the effectiveness of the climax.

Vivek's comedy, also designed by him, has some funny moments but is never laugh-out-loud funny. The outrageous ploy used to insert him into the story can be forgiven for the sake of comedy but his comedy sequences never gel with the main story. As always, he has some dialogs that are both funny and socially relevant(like the comments about the fortune-teller and the offerings to the deity) but his overall contribution is a stepdown from his recent movies.

The movie is an example of bad casting if ever there was any. Karthik cuts down on his typical playful antics but moves the other end of the spectrum, hamming up the serious scenes. His slow dialog delivery is irritating at several places. It is tough to imagine P.Vasu, with his beard and roguish eyes, as a Carnatic musician but his performance is adequate(except when he is singing on stage!). Malavika is relegated to the sidelines, making an appearance for the obligatory duets. Deva lets down Vasu with forgettable songs for a movie that supposedly has music as its backbone.