2020, Tamil, Amazon Prime, 6.8 /10 IMDB, Directed by J.J. Fredrick
A direct OTT release, potential thriller, packaged in social awareness wrap and spiced up with a little women empowerment – completely derails with its sitcom characterisation and soapy direction.
To start with, Jothika and Suriya, needs to be lauded for their initiative in constantly trying to bring to light, such sensitive issues of the society in a row. But would have appreciate if they had done some serious digging with the director, to avoid such hicupps in the story telling.
The story opens up in the nilgiri hills, much refreshing indeed, especially when we are trapped with the lockdown syndrome. Pleasantly, it reminds you of the Abiyum Naanum backdrop.
You are teased by the grief stricken eyes of Jothika and await for the mystery to unravel.
The debut director JJFredrick, let’s you down with his plastic characterisations and seriously flawed courtroom scenes. It neither sticks to the 80’s template of SA Chandrasekar kind that we are pretty used to or meets the realistic court room depiction of the 2010’s movies like Manidhan and Andavan Kattalai.
The director often drifts to the small screen version of court room drama. What is even more worrying, is that the characters which are trying to emote with their natural flair, are also curtailed by the director’s ambitious venture to imitate the Malayalam industry.
As for jothika, this time around the story selection in her line up of social mending stories ever since her come back, is worthy. But she seemingly failed in her selection of the director for this serious outing. She does total justice to the character ‘Venba’ and there are some commendable acting from her in many instances except for the one where she cries out loud with a grunt, at the cemetery, which made me crawl under the rug.
It was a delight to see the director trio, K Bagyaraj, Pandiyaraj and Partiban, together on-screen. Rather than it doing any good, it completely distracts, as you constantly expect, if there is going to be a reason, all three were cast together. Bhagyaraj shines amongst the trio and partiban scores at places with his witty dialogue delivery.
The Kannada flick ‘Kavaludhari’, had inspired the director to depict the scenes of the flash back, but as it lacks depth, the efforts are in vain. There are bits and pieces of such fantasies that the director has been inspired by but when the concoction is out of proportion, it turns to become a sedative to the audience.
Good content, seriously flawed by the staged feel, right from the props and backdrop, it sadly fails to deliver what it intended to, even with such a strong casting.