Satyam Sundaram (Meiyazhagan in Tamil): A heartwarming emotional drama about self-discovery and moving on

Much like C Prem Kumar’s last Jaanu a remake of his own movie 96 this movie also explores the theme of nostalgia in a different setting. The core plot of Satyam Sundaram is about a character’s inability to remember the name of the other. This results in numerous laugh loud out moments and also a hugely poignant moment towards the end

  • Starcast: Aravind Swamy, Karthi, Devadarshini, Jayaprakash, Rajkiran, Saran Shakthi and others
  • Writer and director: C Premkumar
  • Music: Govind Vasantha
  • Cinematography: Mahendiran Jayaraju
  • Producers: Jyothika and Suriya
  • Production banner: 2d Entertainment
  • Running time: 2 hours and 57 minutes

C Premkumar’s Satyam Sundaram is a definite breadth of fresh air from the larger than life pan India movies that the Indian viewers have been subjected to. This isn’t a film for those wanting elaborate action sequences, or romantic scenes with the heroines. The main plotline of Satyam Sundaram is paper thin but what makes it work is the depiction of human emotions. It also helps that both Aravind Swamy and Karthi are in perfect sync with each other. Both the actors are a delight to watch sharing a wonderful camaraderie.

Both Aravind Swamy and Karthi are in perfect sync with each other

Satyam Sundaram begins in the year 1996. A young Satyam is forced to leave both his house and hometown due to a family dispute. The first five to ten minutes establish Satyam’s deep attachment with the house. Fast forward to many years later Satyam has a settled life in Vizag. He has zero intentions of revisiting the past due to the painful nostalgia. But a situation comes when Satyam has to attend an important family wedding, with a lot of reluctance he returns to the native village of Uddandarayunipalem set in Guntur. His plan is to give the gift and quickly get away from there, but things don’t go according to plan. Satyam bumps into Karthi’s Sundaram. Satyam doesn’t recognize who Sundaram is but puts up an act of remembering him. Sundaram treats Satyam with a lot of affection further adding to Satyam’s predicament. That night Satyam misses the bus to Vizag, but his life undergoes a drastic change.

As already mentioned, the core plot of Satyam Sundaram is the protagonist inability to remember the other person’s name. Aravind Swamy’s Satyam recognizes Karthi’s character’s name and how they are related only in the pre- climax. This could have turned out very silly in the hands of an inefficient director, but C Premkumar makes these scenarios believable. The first ten to fifteen minutes have a very sobor tone, but the movie picks up huge momentum with the entry of Karthi.

Karthi’s Sundaram has shades of what he has already done in Vamshi Paidipally’s Oopiri. Just like that film here too he is the catalyst. Still Karthi shines big time with his vibrant presence. The dubbing done for Karthi does take a while getting used to, but the actor raises many chuckles with his witty dialogues and situational humor. He perfectly embodies the idealistic and selfless nature of Sundaram. Apart from the humorous scenes Karthi also makes a striking impact in the emotional scenes too.

Aravind Swamy’s Satyam is more of an introvert with a brooding nature and this works as a perfect contrast to Karthi’s energetic persona. Aravind Swamy does a splendid job in portraying Satyam’s trauma making the viewers feel the pain. He particularly shines in the scenes of Satyam trying to remember why Sundaram is being so affectionate towards him.

Their on-screen chemistry is what drives the movie majorly. The supporting cast comprising of Devadarshini as Satyam’s wife and Rajkiran as Sathyam’s uncle have brief yet memorable characters. Rajkiran in particular is extremely affective, he would remind the viewers a lot of their own uncles.

Rajkiran as Sathyam’s uncle would remind the viewers a lot of their own uncles

The film’s music by Govind Vasantha is striking too. The translation of the Tamil lyrics doesn’t feel jarring. The song Pothoo Nee Pothoo is especially memorable. Mahendiran Jayaraju’s cinematography is also of the highest order. The atmospherics of a rural life has been skillfully captured through his lens.

Satyam Sundaram doesn’t dwell much into the characters of greedy relatives. They are strictly cardboard cutouts meant to make the viewers empathize with Satyam. However, through this subplot the director does seem to be giving a message about forgiving people and in the process overcoming bitterness leading to a happier life.

Satyam Sundaram is a must watch for those like emotionally driven narratives.

Jai Bhim: A Hard-Hitting Drama that Holds A Mirror To Society

Before dissecting Jai Bhim it is necessary to give a huge round of applause to the pair of Surya and Jyotika for producing a film of this sort. Director T.S Gnanvel uses Surya’s role of a firebrand lawyer to talk about the horrors of custodial torture and the deep- seated rot in our criminal system. The role of Surya is based on the real life lawyer Chandru who fought for the downtrodden. The director makes sure that the actor’s star power doesn’t over power the narrative. It also helps that Surya blends in with the narrative. He delivers his lines with absolute conviction and makes you believe that he really believes in them.  The breakthrough performance though comes from Lijo Mol Jose as Sengani.

The film begins off in the year 1994. You have a couple who belong to a tribal community called Irulas, it is a tribal community in Chennai. They are living a life of dignity and have dreams of a successful future. One day theft happens in the president’s house and Sengani’s husband Rajkannu (Manikandan) is framed as a thief. From here on we see the open showcase of police brutality, atrocities and the game of power that crushes the marginalized. The scenes of the police atrocities are blood-curdling but they still need to be watched for the way it showcases the reality. The other important members of the cast include Prakash Raj and Rao Ramesh. Prakash Raj on one hand is the righteous police officer who becomes an ally for Surya later on; Rao Ramesh on the other hand is the lawyer who will go to any lengths to protect the evil police officers.

The best part of Jai Bhim is how the director builds up the characters of the couple. There is no big rush to introduce the character of Surya. As a result you journey with these characters and when tragedy strikes your heart goes out for them. However, the issue here is not confined to the couple only. The bigger picture is how so many men and women of that community are subjected to all this. Their only fault being born as Irulas.

There are many scenes in the film which shake your conscience. A scene which deserves a particular mention is the opening act. You see the police officers literally segregating people based on caste. This scene sets the tone for what is to follow.

Sean Roldan’s music tells a story of its own. The songs are not mere fillers but they move the story forward. The best example of this is the song which is used to establish what the character of Surya stands for.

Jai Bhim has also got some subtle humor. Most of this comes from MS Bhaskar who plays a Brahmin lawyer. His character is of someone who subscribes only to faith and has no ideology. We mostly see him pass comments on the proceedings. Some of his comments raise chuckles.

The cinematographer SR Karthir also deserves appreciation for the way he captures the atmospherics of both the court scenes and also the Irula village.

The biggest achievement of Jai Bhim is how T.J Gnanavel is successful in achieving the balancing act. He is able to do equal justice to the characters of both Sengani and Chandru.

Out of the rest Rao Ramesh makes a meal out of his negative role. He is successful in making you hate him. His scenes with Surya elevate the courtroom proceedings.

By the end of Jai Bhim you will clap for the real life Chandru and want to find out more about him.