Kavin wrote about his brother borrowing money and never returning it. In his version, he was patient; his brother was a liar. In his brother’s version, Kavin was controlling and harsh. Priya wrote about a group project where her teammate took credit. In her version, she was exploited; in her teammate’s, she was uncommunicative.

That night, the students watched the film’s famous narrative—how Virumaandi and Kothaala tell their versions of the same bloody feud. One student, Kavin, was certain Virumaandi was a righteous fighter. Another, Priya, insisted he was a violent criminal.

The useful story from Virumaandi isn’t about who won the fight. It’s this: Before you choose a side, listen to the story you haven’t heard. Because until you understand why your enemy believes they are right, you will remain a prisoner of your own limited perspective—just like Virumaandi, alone in his cell, convinced of a truth that only half the world can see.

After sharing, silence fell. The professor said, “ Virumaandi shows that every villain is the hero of their own story. The tragedy isn’t that people lie—it’s that each believes their truth is the whole truth. Virumaandi and Kothaala both ended in prison not because one was wrong, but because neither could step into the other’s shoes. They chose revenge over understanding.”

He then gave them a real-world exercise. For one month, whenever a conflict arose, they had to pause and write down: “What would the other person say happened here?” before responding.

The next day, the professor didn’t ask for legal arguments. Instead, he handed each student a blank notebook. “Write the story of the last major fight you had with a friend or family member,” he said. “But here’s the rule: first, write it from your perspective. Then, from theirs.”

In a bustling law college in Madurai, a professor noticed his students were deeply divided over a famous legal case. Half the class argued the accused was a ruthless villain; the other half swore he was a framed hero. The professor smiled and assigned them a task: watch the movie Virumaandi .

The results transformed the class. Kavin reconciled with his brother after realizing his brother had been hiding a financial crisis. Priya apologized to her teammate, discovering her teammate had been overworked and anxious. More importantly, they stopped escalating small disputes into lifelong grudges.

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