Suriya as the visually impaired investigator is excellent as always; but Naslen as Eswaran is the movie’s biggest highlight. Its a far cry from Premulu and Kotha Lokah Part 1; Naslen attacks the material with absolute glee coming up with a fantastic act. Its good to see the Premalu Jodi Mamitha and Naslen having a killer 2026. Nazriya as an assistant/love interest makes a late entry but she also makes her presence amply felt. An action sequence with her kicking some serious ass in particular is a delight to watch. This specific portion subverts the conventional action tropes
Starcast: Suriya, Naslen, Nazriya, Lal, Anandraj and others
Writer and director: Jithu Madhavan
Dialogues: Dravid Selvam
Music: Sushin Shyam
Cinematography: Vineeth Augustian
Producers: Suriya, Jyothika and Jaishree Damodaran
Production companies: 2 D Entertainment and Zhagaram Studios
Running time: 2 hours and 29 minutes
At its core Jithu Madhavan’s Scene is a familiar cat and mouse game between a serial killer and a suspended cop in this case. But what makes Scene stand out is Jithu’s treatment; the film never gets too gory and there are ample entertaining moments. This has mainly to do with the whacky humor coupled with an engaging romantic subplot. Scene’s story begins with Naslen’s Eswaran; his villainy is established in crisp but highly effective manner. From there we move to Suriya’s Inbaraj a genius investigator known for having attitude. Nazriya is Inbaraj’s assistant/love interest; she much like Inbaraj has an impediment of her own. How Eswaran and Inbaraj’s paths converge leading to a showdown is the main premise of Scene.
A strong aspect of Scene are the psychological games between Suriya and Naslen. The second half cat and mouse game in particular offers solid thrills. It also helps that Naslen is presented as a formidable villain who cannot be easily defeated.
The action showdown between Suriya and Naslen is a solid example of this. At one-point Easwaran beats Inbaraj to the pulp and seems to have the upper hand. The way Inbaraj fights back not letting the visual impediment get in the way offers some solid mass moments.
The second half also benefits from Suriya and Nazriya’s romantic subplot. Jithu Madhavan does an excellent job in building up the romance; how Inbaraj gets emotionally attached to Nazriya’s Maya is shown in a subtle but highly effective manner.
A specific mention must be made of Nazriya’s action sequence too. This portion does a fantastic job in subverting the traditional commercial tropes; Nazriya’s fluid martial art movements coupled with Inbaraj thinking that some men are beating Maya when its the other way around makes for a fantastic theatrical moment.
Anandraj playing Suriya’s on-screen father also deserves a special mention. His role comes with its own eccentricities and he does an excellent job doing complete justice to the role’s whacky nature. Lal as Inbaraj’s senior also gets his share of funny moments and he raises ample chuckles.
However, Scene’s beating heart is Suriya and Naslen. Suriya another feather. Suriya adds another feather to his cap portraying the different shades of Inbaraj in his usual charismatic manner. But as already mentioned Naslen is the movies biggest revelation. The way Naslen portrays the psychotic nature with a calm demeanor is a treat to watch. Yes his last release Mollywood Times was in the grey zone, but Scene is a very different beast altogether. Its a treat to watch the youngster take Suriya head on making for a more than worthy opponent.
Sushin Shyam’s music goes well with the movie’s eccentric tone. The standout number though is a romantic ballad establishing Maya and Indiraj’s changed dynamics. Vineeth Augustian’s cinematography also has its moments especially the climatic showdown between hero and villain.
Coming to the flaws the set up and the tone does take a while getting used. The film actually gets going after a jail scene featuring Tovino Thomas and Suriya. It’s here that we get to know the protagonist’s physical impediment. After that there is no looking back.
Final word: Scene is a must watch for Suriya fans as well as those who enjoy whacky entertainers.
