Kathir and Manja kili are siblings from a wealthy Zamin family. Their grandfather, Naathamuni, dies after swallowing diamonds that smugglers were trying to steal, along with a sword that has a treasure map. Kathir and Manja kili make a bet: Kathir must make their distant cousin, Devi, fall in love with him before their grandfather’s final rites. While they compete, the smugglers are trying to get back the diamonds and the treasure map.
The film was written by Kalyaan with Santhanam in mind during 2022, with production on the film beginning by the end of the year.[1] Produced by Studio Green, the film brought together a number of comedic actors including Manobala and Mayilswamy, who died before the release of the film. The film was first announced to the media in October 2023, only a month before the film's release.[2] Radhika Preethi, who had previously worked on films such as Raja Loves Radhe (2018) and Embiran (2019), appeared in the leading female role.[3] Kalyan revealed that the film would be set in the 1980s,and would feature Santhanam as huge fan of Kamal Haasan, while his grandfather would be a Rajinikanth fan.[4][5]
Release
The film had a theatrical release on 24 November 2023 across Tamil Nadu. A critic from Times of India noted that it was "a comedy with potential that misfires" and that "there is a laugh riot hiding within the plot of 80s Buildup, but unfortunately, director Kalyaan fails to find it".[6] A critic from The Hindu wrote "if you are looking for an activity to test your mental endurance to the maximum, well, this Santhanam film hits the mark", in a negative review.[7] Navein Darshan of Cinema Express wrote the film was "a lazy, offensive talkathon masquerading as comedy" and that "every scene in the film is a reminder that there has been very little to no work done on the writing front to entertain or respect its audience".[8]
