Film-Saamaniyan
Director- R.Rahesh
Cast- Ramarajan, Radha Ravi, MS Bhaskar,KS Ravikumar, Smruthi Venkat, Naksha Saran, Leo Shivakumar, Mime Gopi, Deepa, Bose Venkat, Gopi gpr, Abarnathi.
A vendetta saga,the film marks the return of Ramarajan to the screen after a hiatus of more than a decade. Though it’s a character different from anything he had essayed earlier, the actor sports the same rural look he was popular for. Also, he plays his age here, not much bothering to cover up or camouflage the visible physical changes brought on by the passage of time.
Ramarajan essays Sankara Narayanan a former army officer, who seems more comfortable on the farms tending to his cattle and crops than on the war field. On a trip to Chennai with his friend (MS Bhaskar), they are joined by Fazil Bhai (Radharavi) , the trio all set for a mission.
The whole scenario at the bank, where Narayanan holding the staff and customers at gun point puts forth his conditions, is structured in an amateurish way. So are the moves made by his two friends. However, the three actors share a comfort level and jell together as a team. Ramarajan is adequate in his performance, while MS Bhaskar and Radharavi add support.
There is a subplot of three jobless youngsters planning to rob the bank. But the scenario having nothing to do with the main plot, seems an add-on. The song in the flash-back portion seems a distraction, the twist towards the end contrived. There are some amusing references to Ramarajan’s earlier films, some self-jibes, and bits from his old songs replayed here.
The better crafted portion is the back story. That depicts the challenges a couple Azhagar and Divya ( Shivakumar, Naksha) faces, as they set out to buy their dream house. The vicious circle they find themselves trapped in, and the mental trauma they go through after they take a loan from a bank, are moments effectively captured. Also depicted are the malpractices by real estate developers in nexus with bank officials. There is a message conveyed on the hazards of taking loans from financial institutions. Shivakumar and Naksha bring out the mental trauma of the couple with conviction. Deepa as their sympathetic neighbour leaves an impact.
‘Saamaniyan’ (146 minutes) had a plot with potential. An average fare, a more coherent and a convincing screenplay would have worked to the film’s advantage.
Malini Mannath
Malini Mannath 