Malaysian audiences should see Tamil superstar Rajnikanth's latest film "Kuselan" since it is a blend of a good story and fine acting, says a noted film critic of the South-East Asian nation.

"Such is the power of a good story that it can be appreciated all over India in diverse languages," critic K.N. Vijayan wrote in the New Straits Times.

"Kuselan", which was released on July 30, has been running to packed houses across South India after getting over initial controversy over alleged anti-Kannada remarks. The story is based on the 2007 Malayalam hit movie "Katha Parayumpol", starring Mammootty and Sreenivasan.

Rajnikanth plays superstar Ashok Kumar who comes to a picturesque village with leading actress Nayantara to film Chandramukhi II. Unknown to him, barber Balu (Pasupathy) claims the superstar was his classmate.

Balu's wife, played by Meena who did the same role in the Malayalam version, is proud of this fact. Everyone in the village tries to befriend Balu so that they can get to meet Ashok Kumar.

However, even Balu can't get to see the star because of the tight security. Soon everyone, including his wife and three children, begin to doubt his claims.

Urging Malaysians to "go see this one with the family", Vijayan said: "The last few minutes of the film draw a tear or two. That's when Rajnikanth proves how good an actor he is. Also, whoever wrote that speech Rajnikanth makes in the film needs a special award."

There is a lot of humour in the movie, with Vadivelu and Livingstone indulging in various antics. Vadivelu is wonderful in the scenes where he becomes hysterical after meeting Ashok Kumar, according to Vijayan.

Another draw of the movie is that it is directed by P. Vasu, who helmed one of the most successful Tamil movies ever - "Chandramukhi" - with Rajnikanth in the lead role.

G.V. Prakash's tunes are also slowly beginning to gain favour, the critic said.

Inspired by the success of the film's Telugu and Malayalam versions, Priyadarshan is re-making it in Hindi as "Billoo Barber", with Shah Rukh Khan and Irrfan Khan in the lead.