Avvai Shanmugi (1996)

In the heart of a bustling court, a divorce case unravels between Janaki and Pandian. Janaki, weary of her humble lifestyle and Pandian's constant absence due to his dedication to his dance school and film choreography career, successfully secures a divorce. The court grants Pandian only weekly visits with their daughter, Bharathi, in public places. However, Bharathi yearns to live with her father, not her mother. In an attempt to stay close to his daughter, Pandian stumbles upon an advertisement for a live-in maid by Vishwanathan Iyer, who seeks help with his granddaughter. Seizing the opportunity, Pandian cleverly disguises his voice and introduces himself as Avvai Shanmugi, taking his new name from the street sign he sees. With the help of Nagesh, a makeup artist who promises to transform him into an old lady for a sum, Pandian becomes Avvai Shanmugi. The transformation is a success, but time is against him as the makeup lasts only for five hours. He arrives for the interview just in time to save Bharathi from a firework accident, and his heroic act earns him the job as the new maid. While Bharathi suspects Avvai's true identity, an entirely different set of complications arise. Vishwanathan Iyer, reminded of his late wife by Avvai, falls in love with her. To evade this predicament, Avvai fabricates a story about a husband in Kasi. She juggles the affection of Iyer, Muthaliyar, and Joseph, each believing to be her husband. Amid this chaos, Pandian's friend Nassar, disguised as a mute Brahmin, joins the household but is exposed by Sethuraman Iyer. Avvai, however, manages to save him. As the drama unfolds, Avvai subtly hints to Vishwanathan Iyer that Janaki's place is with her husband, Pandian. Iyer, realizing the truth, tells Janaki she doesn't belong in his house. Distressed, Janaki attempts suicide, only to be saved by Avvai Shanmugi who finally reveals herself as Pandian. In this whirlwind of disguises and confessions, Janaki and Pandian reconcile their differences, understanding the mistakes they made. United once again, they embrace the joy of their modest life, promising to cherish each other and their daughter.

Avvai Shanmugi is a comedy movie featuring Kamal Haasan.

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