Johnson Cherian.
The ‘cop’ film and the ‘rowdy who reforms’ film have been recycled so many times in Tamil cinema that the audiences in the cinema halls are second-guessing — forget the scenes and the larger plot points — even the dialogues in the film.
Yet, it is startling that these storylines continue to remain popular amongst the younger actors, despite the fact that they do not yet have the charisma to carry such banal plots on their shoulders. Filmmaker S. R. Prabhakaran’s Sathriyan, starring Vikram Prabhu and Manjima Mohan, is one such film that basically heaps one done-to-death plot point over another, forcing us to fondly remember the films that made Ajith Kumar and Vijay the big stars that they are today.
For those who have still not guessed the plot, here it goes: Guna (Vikram Prabhu) is a feared and ‘rising star’ rowdy in Trichy, who falls in love with a deceased don Samuthiram’s daughter Niranjana (Manjima Mohan). Obviously, there is opposition from her family. Can he overcome all opposition and marry her?
Despite the narrative stringing together one stunt after another, every single plot point in the film feels so generic that you can miss a good 30 minutes and still make sense of the film. While Vikram Prabhu delivers a decent performance and somewhat excels in action sequences, it isn’t enough to see this film over the finish line.
The most exhausting part of the film comes in the final third, when Guna indulges his friend with a monologue about why it is good to give up a life in the crime business. This is the final punch that knocks out the audience.
Sathriyan
Director: S R Prabhakaran
Cast: Vikram Prabhu, Manjima Mohan, Kavin
