After dropping out from engineering, Gautham Karthik and RJ Balaji set up an electronics store. They deal in selling laptops, mobile phones and various other electronic products while Gautham Karthik also shows keen interest in the latest inventions. He manages to design a new mobile as compatible as Apple and Android and makes numerous efforts to try and sell his product.
In the meantime, middle-class girl Shraddha Srinath purchases a laptop from Gautham Karthik's shop which ends up being faulty leading to a confrontation between the two. Around about the same time, Gautham Karthik is entrusted the task of fixing CCTV cameras in minister Super Subbarayan's house. Upon completing the job, Gautham Karthik asks Super Subbarayan's cousin Stunt Silva for his payment, who refuses and threatens the youngster. Gautham Karthik decides to get his payment at all costs.
Meanwhile, Super Subbarayan seals several engineering colleges since they are not delivering quality education to students and Shraddha Srinath's college is also one among those. It is later revealed that Super Subbarayan's true intention to seal the colleges is to earn money under the pretext that they are not delivering proper education. However, he assures them he will allow them to function once again if he is paid a handsome sum. The managements of many of these colleges too pay him the money they collect from the students, but one student, who is unable to come forward with the money commits suicide. Gautham Karthik happens to pass by the location when the shocking incident takes place. Upon coming to realize Super Subbarayan is solely responsible behind the student's suicide, Gautham Karthik decides to use his intellect against the minister. He releases information related to Super Subbarayan in secret over the internet. As a result, he goes on to lose his minister position in the cabinet. He then tries to come out of the problems to become qa minister once again.
Stunt Silva then identifies Gautham Karthik as the reason for the information getting leaked and sets to hunt him down. On the other hand, Super Subbarayan realizes since Stunt Silva is still free and there is a high likelihood the police will go after him next, the former minister decides to kill his cousin. When tracked down by Super Subbarayan and his men, Stunt Silva reveals he knows the identity of the person leaking information about the former minister and that he would not reveal it to his cousin since he was going to kill him. The rest of the story revolves around whether Super Subbarayan finds out the identity of the person who cost him his position in the cabinet and if he gets his revenge or Gautham Karthik causes more hardship for Super Subbarayan.
Gautham Karthik's recent films have been quite different and his role in this film shows him to be much brighter than many other engineering students and graduates. Despite not being an engineer, he displays an unique talent and stands tall. He has also come a long way in his acting and has done a good job this time. Although she appeared in a cameo in Kaatru Veliyidai, Shraddha Srinath has officially made her leading role debut in Tamil cinema with Ivan Thanthiran. Despite being told she plays a girl from a middle class family, she appears to be hailing from a rich family for the most part of the film. RJ Balaji strikes again with his down-to-earth comedy antics. Many of his dialogues in the film revolve around the plight of engineering graduates and students and, he has highlighted it in a humorous manner. Both Super Subbarayan and Stunt Silva have played their negative roles to a tee and come off as terrifying both in appearance as well as performance. Mayilsamy, Bharath Reddy, Madan Bob's comedy antics lend support in few sequences in the film.
Director R. Kannan has attempted to make a film informing that there are other dignified professions and education courses apart from engineering. He has tried to point out the common misconception that studying engineering is the only way to achieve success in life and neither has the filmmaker tried to malign those who are studying engineering or are already engineers. Each person his/her own talent and that it is up to the parents to encourage their children by supporting them in their interests to come up in life. Despite having a solid story in his hands, the director should have paid more attention in writing a better screenplay. Had he done that, the output would have no doubt been far better than the one we have gotten now. In comparison the songs, S. Thaman shines in the background score department. Prasanna S Kumar's cinematography skills come to the fore and he has attempted to show the various digital elements in a new manner.
In short, Ivan Thanthiran is enjoyable.
