Film-Siragan
Director-Venkateshwaraj S.
Cast- Gajaraj, Vinod GD, Jeeva Ravi, Ananth Nag, Fouzie Hidhaya, Harshita Ram, Sanu S., Balaji, Malik, Pooventhan.
A crime thriller, the plot revolves around an influential man Sundar (Jeeva Ravi) who sets out in search of his missing son, unleashing a chain of events in the process. Debutant Venkateshwaraj who has written, directed, edited and produced the film, weaves a suspense- filled ambiance and moves his narrative with fair confidence. Elements like loss, grief and retribution, subterfuge and deception, misuse of technology and its drastic consequences, all form part of the scenario.
A hyperlinked crime drama, the narrative travels in multiple tracks. Apart from Sundar, there is his friend and lawyer Kalidas (Gajaraj) whose daughter Nitya is in a stage of comatose. And investigating cop Inba who has his own baggage of woes ( Vinod GD). How the lives of these characters get interlinked forms the rest.
A fairly intriguing screenplay, with red herrings scattered, the director has managed to create a suspense-filled ambiance. The first half is a tad jerky and slow paced. It’s in the second half that the narration peps up and gains momentum. Where the back-story emerges and the various bits of the puzzle are pieced together. The wrap-up, where certain characters like Inba, come clean on their intentions, gives a warm finish to the saga.
The narrative travels back and forth in time, the revisit to a past event lending it a fresh perspective. But at times this tool to surprise a viewer seems overdone and unwanted. The technical crew a talented young lot, has coordinated ably to support the director’s vision.
Cast as Kalidas, Gajaraj gets one of the best roles of his career. The actor renders a very efficient performance, shouldering most of the burden of the narrative. Actors in the supporting cast like Vinod GD, Jeeva Ravi, Sanu (as Kalidas’s assistant) and Fouzie and Harshita as victims of a dirty act, fit in suitably. And there is Ananth Nag, the X factor in the plot, impressive in the limited space given, his character a crucial one in the story.
A promising piece of work by a debutant maker, the film (119 minutes) could be a one- time watch for lovers of the genre.
Malini Mannath
Malini Mannath 