Vijay Antony after the stupendous success of ‘Pichaikaaran’ is now a bankable star and his confidence is sky high that he dares to release the first thirteen minutes or so online which created the required buzz among movie goers. Does the film match its hype? The answer, after some thought is yes.
As most viewers would have watched the clips, the film opens with Dinesh (Vijay Antony) a newly married IT guy (to Aishwarya played by Arundathi Nair) who is hearing voices in his head that egg him on to kill himself and he embarks on a surreal journey in search of the elusive Jayalakshmi. Who is she? Is she a ghost, a living monster or a figment of Dinesh’s imagination is what the screenplay is all about.
Vijay Antony is a self proclaimed actor of limited capabilities and his strength is he knows his weaknesses and plays within himself, and thus his performance both as Dinesh and Sharma is near flawless. He effectively brings to life a man suffering from schizophrenia quite effectively and ‘Saithan’ most definitely is a step forward for him. Arundathi Nair is innocence personified and there are many shades of her character which she expresses with ease, making her a talent to look out for in the future. Veterans Y. Gee. Mahendra, Kitty, Meera Krishnan and Charuhaasan have all done a neat job. The actor playing the villain’s henchman Thomas grabs the attention, but the main villain’s antics are cartoonish and a bit of a let down. Aadukalam Murugadoss and television personality Vijay Sarathi are also in the cast.
In all his movies Vijay Antony has delivered at least two hit songs that linger in the mind, but in ‘Saithan’ his touch is missing. However, as usual the background score complements the proceedings. Pradeep Kalipurayath’s cinematography is a big plus as the angles, lighting and tone set the viewers up perfectly for the unfolding of quite a complicated screenplay. In a subject like this most editors tend to resort to fancy cutting, but Veera Senthil Raj has thankfully given a smooth and flowing cut that greatly enhances the film. Art direction and sound design are spot on. Vijay Antony Film Corporation has once again chosen a subject that suits their stable.
Director Pradeep Krishnamoorthy, novelist Joe D Cruz and Karthick Krishna are credited with the screenplay, which is engrossing and keeps the viewer interested in most parts probing themes such as schizophrenia, past lives and drug induced mental trauma. Director Pradeep Krishnamoorthy has treated and executed the script well, extracted neat performances from his cast and is a welcome addition to Tamil cinema.
On the downside the film switches genres abruptly twice disorienting the viewer for some time. The flashback portion would have been better shown than told and the climax action scenes stick out of the narration. The story reminds one of 'Anegan' in the first half and 'Iru Mugan' in the second.
Verdict: Go for it - An engaging thriller that keeps you tied in for most parts
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