We are introduced to Peter (GV Prakash), an ardent fan of actor Vijay, who plays drums for the FDFS of Vijay’s films and is quite popular among his friends. His dad Johnson (Kumaravel) is a mridangam maker, who has taken it up from his ancestors and is also a Kalaimamani. Palakkad Vembu Iyer, who is a legendary mridangam player calls Johnson to arrange for a mridangam after his assistant Mani (Vineeth Sreenivasan) accidentally drops one just before a performance. GV Prakash, who rushes to the venue is made to sit on the stage by Vembu witnesses the performance and is attracted towards playing mridangam and wants to learn it from Vembu himself. Here, the plot opens up as Peter asks his dad why people who make mridangam, aren’t destined to perform in sabhas. He is disregarded by his father, who says that the doors will shut on him. Peter follows Vembu but is chased away by Mani, who keeps humiliating Peter on the basis of caste. At a point in time as Vembu is convinced and agrees to have Peter as one of his disciples.

These make for majority of the first half. Performances from GV Prakash and Nedumudi Venu are scintillating and they strike an emotional chord and lay a solid platform for the second half. But little do we know that the second half is only an exhausting watch. You feel like you have tuned into a television channel as the crux of the film is built around a reality show and ends on the same note. Nedumudi Venu as Vembu Iyer has played the character beyond perfection and takes us into the world of Carnatic music and sabha politics. Prakash has raised his bar as an actor by landing the role of Peter. His transformation from being a Vijay fan to Vembu’s disciple will make us sit up and notice. Vineeth Sreenivasan with his portrayal of Mani has done a brilliant job. He makes you hate him and that is what his character is all about. Aparna Balamurali’s role is not on a par with Rajiv Menon’s earlier heroines like Priya played by Kajol or Sowmya by Tabu and Meenu by Aishwarya Rai. Her scenes make for a predictable plot as well. Overall, Sarvam Thaala Mayam could have been a better film if not for the reality show portions.