Manirathnam has good experience dealing with human relations against a serious backdrop. Roja and Bombay had romances set against terrorism and communal violence respectively. In Kannathil Muthamittaal too, he chooses the serious setting of the Sri Lankan conflict but the issue set against it - adoption and a girl's search for her roots - is serious too. Both issues are handled with the sensitivity they deserve and so the movie, with its strong dialogs, eye-catching cinematography and suitably melodious soundtrack, is both thoughtful and entertaining, a combination that has become increasingly rare in Tamil cinema these days.

Amudha(Keerthana) is the eldest daughter of Thiruchelvan(Madhavan), an engineer and writer, and Indra(Simran), a TV personality. With loving parents, an affectionate grandfather, two younger brothers and lots of friends at school, her life is complete. But on her ninth birthday, it all comes crashing down when Amudha learns that she was adopted by Thiru and Indra. Her mother Shyama(Nandita Das), whose husband Dileepan(Chakravarthy) had gone to join the Sri Lankan war, had returned home after the delivering her at a Red Cross camp in Rameswaram and her whereabouts are now unknown. Amudha wants to meet her and Thiru and Indra take her to Sri Lanka where a friend Wikramasinghe(Prakashraj) helps them search for Shyama.

It is debatable whether a nine year old needs to be told about her roots and once told, if she will develop such strong feelings about knowing her biological mother. But no such doubts arise while watching the movie because of the way Manirathnam handles the issue. Keerthana's new insecurity and her lack of sense of 'belonging' are brilliantly portrayed and the reactions of Madhavan and Simran convey their confusion about the right way to handle her. Simran's character is especially well-crafted as she struggles between conveying her love and true feelings and alienating Keerthana even more as a result of that.

Sure Madhavan and Simran share some nice moments with and without their children as they run their family but it is the flashback sequence that once again proves that Manirathnam is in a class of his own when it comes to portraying romance. The romance between Madhavan and Simran has it all - mild romance, comedy, sharp dialogs and sentiments - and their reactions to the baby help define their characters and make us love them. While Madhavan's sister has some very funny lines(that are even funnier because of the matter-of-fact way they are delivered), the scenes with the baby are touching without being overly sentimental.

The second half is essentially Keerthana's trip to see her mother with the usual ploys of mistaken identities, close misses, etc. used to pad the running time. Though this causes the movie to feel stretched at a couple of points, Manirathnam, manages to effectively convey the state of life in Sri Lanka. The sight of the people being forced to leave their village at a moment's notice and the chaos as they are bombarded while being herded away are very touching. The fact that Manirathnam is able to invoke these feelings though we do not know any of those characters is testimony to his talent in the execution of these scenes. The scene where Madhavan and co. are caught in the crossfire at the park is another scene that is executed with skill.

The scene where Keerthana finally meets her mother is handled sensitively and the fact that it is underplayed serves to make it more effective. Nandita's final decision is understandable and the change that she has undergone is conveyed through her uttering the same dialogs her husband spoke(which she then refused to accept) when she requested him not to leave. The closing scene is again masterfully executed with the single act conveying a lot more than words could ever have.

Madhavan does the best he can with a character that has not been defined very well(atleast compared to Simran's). He has put on a lot of weight and surprisingly looks more suited to play the father of three kids than the young man in the flashback. Simran finally gets the role that allows her to convey her seriousness about looking for roles that allow her to act rather than just add glamour. There are no figure-hugging, navel-revealing dresses or hip-shaking dances. She is excellent, bringing forth the complete complexity of her role. Keerthana, daughter of Parthiban and Seetha, looks at ease in front of the camera and acting seems to come naturally to her. Nandita Das has little to do but emotes well in the few scenes she is onscreen. Prakashraj slips admirably into the role of the Sri Lankan but brushes with overacting a few times.

This is probably Manirathnam's first movie where the song sequences do not stand out on their own. While his trademarks of picturesque locations, crystal-clear photography and interestingly-mounted sequences are present, the sequences do not overwhelm and take our attention away from the movie. Rehman's tunes too are muted and suit the seriousness of the movie. Vellai Pookkal... and Vidai Kodu... are both haunting melodies while Kannathil Muthamittaal..., picturised independently on both Madhavan and Simran with Keerthana, is catchy. Sundari... is fast and features some interesting camera movements by Ravi K.Chandran.