Simply having a unique - maybe even radical - character anchor a movie is not enough. The character must be accompanied by other well-rounded, interesting characters and participate in a story that is engaging and exploits and highlights the character's uniqueness. That does not happen in Dhanam. The surprise at the central character and the anticipation raised because of it are soon replaced by disbelief at the characterization and the unbelievable plot.

Dhanam(Sangeetha), a prostitute in Gandhi Nagar in Hyderabad, is adored by the people in the locality since she uses her earnings to help out those in need. Anantharaman(Prem), who comes from an orthodox Brahmin family, arrives in Hyderabad for a job and falls for Dhanam. His family is outraged at his choice but their fears are allayed by their astrologer(Kota Srinivasa Rao) and they accept Dhanam into the household. But the astrologer has his own agenda and this creates bigger problems for Dhanam.

Dhanam differs from other movies right at the outset because of its heroine but doesn't capitalize on it. Unlike Ammuvaagiya Naan, which gave its heroine the same profession and used it to disregard usual conventions of Tamil cinema, Dhanam creates a cliched character - the prostitute with a heart of gold - with familiar accessories(a sad flashback, a lover who falls for her good heart, etc.). While prostitutes are usually reviled in the neighborhood, Sangeetha here is loved by the people in the area but this is carried to ridiculous levels as they fawn over her, treat her as a good luck charm and do everything except make her quit her profession.

The film is populated by some of the most unrealistic characters to ever come together in a movie. Lack of realism in a couple of characters can usually be overlooked due to the requirements of the screenplay but when no character in a movie behaves as people do in the real world, the entire film ends up looking like a joke. Apart from the residents of Gandhi Nagar who treat Sangeetha as though she were Mother Teresa, we have a hero who falls for the heroine after hearing a few people talk about her good heart, a bunch of comedians who spend time ogling at Sangeetha and then suddenly have a change of heart for no obvious reason, policemen who close serious cases based on some convoluted logic and an entire family that takes an unbelievably heartless decision. So its no wonder that none of what these characters do or say affects us.

To the movie's credit, the problem faced by Sangeetha after she enters Prem's household is not what we expect i.e. her troubles after her past comes out into the open. What she faces is a lot bigger than that and has the potential to raise sympathy for her character. But the situation is created through a series of coincidences and some unbelievable behavior on the part of the other characters and so fails to have an impact.

With movies like Uyir and now this, Sangeetha seems to be the go-to actress for brave, controversial roles. But for the most part, she isn't required to do much more than strike lewd poses and walk with a swagger. She finally gets a chance to act at the end and does so with enough forcefulness. Prem hardly makes an impression while Girish Karnad fits the role of the orthodox Brahmin but overdoes it at a few places. Kota's character earns our revulsion with his acts but the actor himself plays it the same way he has played all his roles so far. Kannanukku Enna... is a meaningful, soft song from Ilaiyaraja but none of the other songs pass muster.