Iyarkai is a familiar love triangle that plays out in unfamiliar surroundings. It revolves around a girl and the two men who love her but by placing the happenings in a port town of Andaman, the director manages to give the proceedings a fresh feeling. The distinctiveness of the locations and the photography, along with the nice characterizations and strong climax make Iyarkai one of the best movie among the countless love triangles in Tamil cinema.

Marudhu (Shaam), an orphan and sailor, lands in Andaman and decides to give up his sailing life and settle down there. He develops a liking for Nancy (Radhika), who sells fruits and other items to sailors on ships that have arrived at the port. But Nancy still holds a candle for the captain of a ship that docked there three years ago. The captain( Arunkumar) had promised her that he would return in a year but three years later, Nancy has still not given up hope.

Characters have been developed well and their behaviors and reactions are practical and sensible. This is especially true of the three main characters. Shaam's matter-of-fact way of revealing his love and his subsequent actions earn our respect and sympathy. Radhika's character of a girl not sure of her feelings is crafted well and manages to be indecisive without earning our irritation. Arunkumar's scenes with Radhika are also cute The ending itself is crisp but has a strong impact. It actually leaves us wondering if it is a happy ending or a sad ending (probably a bit of both).