'Sanikizhamai Sayankalam 5 Mani' (Tamil, Suspense, 2010)
Director: Ravi Bharati
Cast: Sharat, Malini, Ravi Bharati, Rati Bala, Meera Krishnan, Chellam
With a delightful road-romance 'Madurai To Theni...' behind him, cinematographer-producer SPS Guhan, returns with his second venture 'Sanikizhamai Sayangalam 5 Mani'.
Yet another interesting and off-the-beaten-track one, the film is an investigative story of a missing girl. Helmed by debutant Ravi Bharati, the film is touted as the first full-length feature film in the world to be shot with the HDSLR camera (a still camera with video facility, used partially in films like 'Slumdog Millionaire'). Thanks to this, the film has gained entry in the Limca Book of Records.
The pitfalls of taking a rash, hasty decision, coupled with the Hitchcock-formula of an innocent by-stander unwittingly drawn into a crises, only because he or she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, forms the core of the plot. Its taut screenplay (Ratibala, the director of 'Madurai To Theni…'), and Ravi Bharati’s deft handling assures that the element of suspense and interest is maintained almost throughout.
Like the earlier film, this too has a long, catchy title. A suitable one too, for the plot covers the time span beginning at 5pm on a Saturday, and ending the same time next Saturday.
Maha, to escape an unwanted marriage, had planned to elope with her lover Shakti. Reluctant to take such a hasty step, Shakti however had conceded to meet her at an appointed place. But she never turns up. His last contact with her was a call from her, from a bus she was travelling in. As he tries to figure out what could have happened to her, he has to reckon with the cops, who zero on him as a suspect. Deciding to do his own investigation, he meticulously follows her trail. The finale is truly a shocking one.
The debutant lead pair gives realistic performances, the rough edges lending a fresh appeal. The rest of the cast too provide adequate support.
The scenes of the police investigation, and of Shakti and his friend following Maha’s trail, are skillfully and meticulously etched. What could have been worked out better are the climax scenes that unravel Maha’s fate. An engrossing suspense thriller, 'Sanikizhamai…' strikes a chord different from the routine formula plots.
