SUNDARAPANDIAN – REVIEW
Sasikumar and his assistant turned director SR Prabhakaran hit the bulls eye with Sundarapandian. The film is packaged perfectly with right mix of ingredients that works with Tamil mass audiences.
If you have seen the umpteen Madurai based romantic action thrillers churned from Kollywood factory at regular intervals, Sundarapandian has the same premise, characters and violence. But what makes the film engaging and gripping is the presentation, fast-paced narration and dialogues. The nail-biting screenplay make up for the plot holes that threaten to eat into this otherwise engaging film.
Sundarapandian (Sasikumar) is the only son of a rich landlord who is a do-gooder, friend and the darling of the household. Like all heroes in Tamil cinema, he is always ready to help friends who are in love. In an attempt to play cupid to his good friend, he bumps into his ex-flame Archana (Lakshmi) and once again flips for her charms.
First half of the film is light and breezy while the second half is a deadly concoction of romance, comedy, revenge, twists and a bloody climax. The way the story unfolds keep you hooked with some light moments and funny one-liners from Parotta Suri who is a scream. The film works as a suspenseful thriller, sorrying you into its drama even though you may have figured out where the story is going.
Sasikumar has this trademark expressions and he carries the film on his shoulders, while new find Lakshmi Menon looks fresh and is a big asset. With her large eyes and subtle expressions she is a pleasure to watch and impresses a lot. Music is average and camera is eye-catching.
This is not a film without faults. The character of Sundarapandian played by Sasikumar could have been that of the simple, guy-next-door instead of giving him a larger-than-life hero entry with the supporting cast building up his image and that introductory song! The scenes inside the bus remind you of the recent film Attakathi, while the climax has traces of Subramaniapuram and Nadodigal.
On the whole, debutant director SR Prabhakaran makes a confident debut with a film that is both respectable and engaging.
