Since his debut in 'Nanda' as Lodukku Pandi, Karunas has donned the comedian’s role in innumerable films. And now the actor gets to play his first lead role in 'Dindukkal Sarathy'. A role which he essays with perfect understanding, bringing out splendidly the complexities and inadequacies of Sarathy.
Sarathy’s main failing is his inferiority complex about his dark looks and physical appearance. All the more compounded, when after many rejections, he finally finds a girl, fair and pretty, and willing to marry him. Suspicion takes its toll on his mind as sees every man talking to his wife as a potential threat to their marriage. Spying on his wife (well played by Kartika), and making regular complaints to the police, Sarathy becomes an object of ridicule. Driving himself to a nervous breakdown, he soon finds his near ones alienated from him. The closing scene has a touch of humour.
A remake of the Malayalam film 'Vadukku Nokki Yanthram', it has a novel story-line, and a finely crafted screenplay, with humour and satire weaved in. The director has stuck faithfully to the original version, the song-dance numbers being the distracting addition here. Saranya’s is a finely tuned performance as the mother, frustrated at her son’s idiosyncrasies.
Mouthing gibberish that sounds like high flown philosophy, Bhasker is in his element.
It was a role that Sreenivasan had crafted for himself to go with his image, mannerisms and his trademark acting style. And it’s to Karunas’ credit that he could come close to re-enacting it with almost the same feel and sensitivity. It’s a film truly different from the routine ones we get to see.
FILM - Dindukkal Sarathy
DIRECTOR - Siva Shanmugham
CAST - Karunas, Kartika, Saranya,
M.s.Bhasker, Flora, Livingston,
Shanmugharajan, Balaji
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