Berlin (PTI): Tamil box-office hit of 2007 "Paruthiveeran" received an enthusiastic reception from viewers who attended its international premiere in the 58th Berlin International Film Festival here.

The two screenings of the movie were held in packed halls, with mostly German and European cinema enthusiasts watching the film, expressing acclaim at the end of the show and participating in discussions with director Ameer.

Two more screenings have been scheduled before the 11-day festival, which concludes on Sunday.

The film is being shown in the 'International Forum of Young Cinema' section. Featuring Tamil cinema's new star Karthi in the title role, the film is about the undaunted efforts of young woman Muthazhagu in a remote village in Tamil Nadu to marry her cousin and childhood friend Paruthiveeran and a bitter caste conflict that follows.

The girl's father with all brutality tries to prevent an inter-caste marriage to protect the family honour until a tragic end.

Ameer, who attended the premiere together with Karthi, said he was quite delighted by the reception from the festival audience and expressed the hope that the exposure received in Berlin would generate greater international interest in his film.

"Paruthiveeran" is the third film by the director, who made a mark by directing "Raam" in 2006 after working as a assistant director for several films and making his debut as director with the film "Silence Speaks."

Talking to PTI, the director said his intention was to depict the caste conflict and its brutality and thereby make a contribution towards breaking the caste barriers in Tamil Nadu and in India.

The director said he wrote the script for "Paruthiveran" based on a real event and gave it a cinematic touch.

Sulthan said he wanted to make the film different from the mainstream Tamil cinema and therefore it was shot mostly with the participation of local people who had never appeared in front of a camera. Even Karthi, who plays the lead role had no experience in acting.

"More than 90 per cent of its cast are ordinary local people from the remote village of Paruthiyur, where it was shot and this gives the film great authenticity," he said. The director said he trained Karthi for the role and made him to speak the local dialect.

Critics here praised the film as a realistic portrayal of the rough rural life and caste conflict in Tamil Nadu.

"With exploding colours and fast music, that are more experimental than one is used to from Bollywood films, Paruthiveeran conveys realistic insights into the rural life in Tamil Nadu," wrote a critic in an introduction to this year's Forum programme.