Three men, who are financially struggling, get involved in criminal activities to improve their financial status. However, they end up in prison and their wives are forced to lead an independent life.

Movie Iraivi
Starring Bobby Simha, Anjali, Vijay Sethupathi
Directed by Karthik Subbaraj
Produced by Thirukumaran Entertainment
Released Year 2016

Iraivi (transl. Goddess) is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language crime drama film written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj[1] and produced by C. V. Kumar, K. E. Gnanavel Raja and Abinesh Elangovan under their banners Thirukumaran Entertainment, Studio Green and Abi & Abi Pictures, respectively.[2] The film features an ensemble cast with S. J. Surya, Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha, Kamalinee Mukherjee, Anjali, and Pooja Devariya playing leading roles.[3][4] The plot revolves around three financially struggling men try to overcome their problems, by getting involved in criminal activities though not realising the impact their efforts are having on the women in their lives.

Karthik Subbaraj drafted the script during the production works of Jigarthanda in September 2013 and took more than a year for its completion.[1] The film was formally announced in September 2014,[1] with principal shooting of the film began in May 2015 and filming completed that September. The film is based on a real life incident from a Christian family, though Subbaraj gave importance to the women characters, so as to influence their characters in the society.[5] The film features music composed by Santhosh Narayanan with cinematography handled by Sivakumar Vijayan and edited by Vivek Harshan.

Iraivi released on 3 June 2016, and received mixed to positive reviews. Critics lauded the performances of the cast, particularly that of SJ Surya and Anjali alongside the technical aspects of the film.[6] However the film did average collections at the box office.[7] In 2017, Anjali was nominated for the Best Actress award at the 2nd IIFA Utsavam awards,[8] and Pooja Devariya received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress award at the 6th South Indian International Movie Awards.[9]

The film centers around three men and the women in their life: a struggling and alcoholic film director Arul (S. J. Surya) and his wife Yazhini (Kamalinee Mukherjee); Arul's best friend Michael (Vijay Sethupathi) and his wife Ponni (Anjali); and Arul's younger brother Jagan (Bobby Simha).

Arul was a renowned film director until he fell out with the producer of his latest directorial film, because of which the film never released. To overcome his sorrow, he became a chronic alcoholic and started harassing Yazhini. Though Yazhini often threatens to divorce Arul for his behavior, she changes her mind each time due to her love for him.

Michael, an artifact dealer, is forced to marry Ponni, despite being in love with a widow named Malar (Pooja Devariya). However, Malar has no love for Michael, merely considering their relationship as friends with benefits. Michael openly reveals to Ponni that he is not interested in being her husband and ignores her.

Yazhini tries to convince Arul to seek the producer's forgiveness and get his film released so that they both could return to a normal life. When Arul refuses, the producer himself steps in and asks Arul to pay him ₹4,00,00,000 to get his film released. Michael and Jagan, with the help of their friend Ramesh (Karunakaran), steal a temple idol and sell it for ₹4,00,00,000 so that Arul's film can be released. Unfortunately, the producer has already decided to remake Arul's film with an entirely new cast and with his own brother as the director. Arul confronts the producer, who tries to kill him. In a fit of rage, Michael bludgeons the producer to death and is soon sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for his crime. An angry Ponni starts ignoring her husband, never visits him in jail, gives birth to their daughter, and eventually returns to her village. Meanwhile, Yazhini returns to her parents' house and files for a divorce against Arul, fed up of his alcoholism.

Arul is sent to rehab to overcome his alcoholism and is released two years later. Now sober, Arul tries to convince Yazhini to return to him, to no avail. Meanwhile, Arul and Jagan bail out Michael, who leaves for Ponni's village in an attempt to restart his married life with her. Ponni agrees to come back with him on the condition that he breaks his friendship with Arul. The deceased producer's widow and brother meet with Arul and decide to sell the production rights of his film to him for ₹20,00,000. In order to get the money, Michael and Jagan again team up with Ramesh to steal an idol from a Kerala temple and sell it. However, Ramesh drugs Michael and runs away with the idol. Michael is arrested the following morning, but he manages to escape from the police and return to Chennai.