2020, Tamil, Amazon Prime, 9.3/10 IMDB, Directed by Sudha Kongara
An ambitious fictional version of a revolutionary biopic, showcasing some intense acting. A worthy attempt, but for the tiresome monotone, that irks a disconnect.
The story credits it’s inspiration to the book, ‘Simply fly’ A Deccan Odyssey, by G.R.Gopinath. Its partly a dramatized version like any other biopic films. The core of the plot is about the revolution in the aviation industry- a villager’s dream to make every Indian, fly, at a low cost.
The movie opens to a rough landing of a passenger plane. As access had been denied for it’s landing at Chennai airport, Nedumaran (Suriya) forcibly arranges for its landing in the army base and rushes to the landing site in his motorbike. Nedumaran meeting Sundari (Aparna Balamurali), through a marriage proposal springs up next. The contrast transition, from the adrenaline rushing opening scene to the crowded train, surprisingly doesn’t charm the way it was intended. The fierce dance number when Sundari meets Nedumaran doesn’t help either, except when he walks in with a haircut to hint his acceptance to the proposal.
Suriya has his heart and soul in the project and it does translate onscreen. Every frame that captures him, has him in some kind of an emotional high. The rebellious and military backdrop, flashes back his ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’ days. The actor is back with a vengeance to overthrow his recent hiatus and seems geared up for another innings.
Aparna brings to life the bold and budding entrepreneur, through her confident body language and expressions. The cute gestures of the couple are poetic and G.V. Prakash’s music work compliments those sequences. The locking horn choreography, to represent the muscle match of the couple, is interesting, as Sundari refuses to marry him and rather pursue her dream.
The story goes back and forth with chronological overlapping, that it dilutes the character’s emotions in places. The editing should have gone haywire or the film had been mutilated badly.
It’s quite hard not to be reminded of the ace director Manirathnam. The distinct rounded characterizations with strong dialect is a classic copy of his films.
Biopics often ride on a curiosity factor. To solve the real life puzzle, by fixing the less known missing pieces amidst the familiar facts. On the contrary, a less known biopic like the Telugu film ‘Mallesham’, on revolutionizing the weaving industry also leaves an impact. It was a tedious win for the lead character as well in Mallesham. But as it’s core revolves around putting an end to the miseries of weaver’s physical pain, it makes you root for the character.
That’s the prime reason for the mild disconnect in Soorarai Pottru. His idea is worth a revolution, no doubt. An ambition of an air force personnel to build a business model to make, travel affordable to all section of the masses. But the lack of nobility of doing away anyone’s sufferings, keeps the character’s efforts at bay. You end up not rooting ardently for Nedumaran’s success, which you know he will eventually do anyways. The airport scene where he alms for cash to travel to visit his dying father, just reiterates Suriya as a talented actor rather than the audience sympathizing with the character ‘Nedumaran’.
A good watch.