'Sabash Sariyana Potti' (Tamil, Comedy)
Director: Venu Arvind
Cast: Sriram karthik, Jairam, Venu Arvind, Anjana, Valentine, Sriranjini
and Deepa Narendra
Venu Arvind is well-known in the small screen industry and has essayed character roles in a few films too. But the movie ‘Sabash Sariyana Potti’ marks the actor’s directorial debut. The movie was touted to be a laugh riot, but with the humour not working out at all, it turns out to be one that far from funny.
With actor Jairam as the lead character, one would expect some hilarious moments considering the actor’s penchant for comedy. But his role seems more like a supporting character, which otherwise can be categorised as an extended guest appearance. He plays the selfish, hypocritical film star JR, whose public façade is far removed from his real persona. But the actor leaves no impact, as both his role and the scenes given to him not etched poorly.
Playing the protagonist, Guru, is debutant Sriram Karthik (adequate in his portrayal), a small-town youth who idolises JR and gets a chance to meet him.
Impressed by Guru’s mimicry skills, JR assures him of a bright future in films, and asks him to meet him at Chennai. Taking him seriously, Guru reaches the city. But, rebuffed and humiliated by the star, he vows to make it big on his own.
It’s a confused ending as the director tries to make some amends for the poor way he had projected JR. The female characters seem only to pander to the hero. If, at his home town, it was the generous Rupa who spent thousands on him, in Chennai it was old friend Ranjini who gives him shelter and support, and helps him to enter the reality show.
So, though Guru came from a lower middle class family, and had no contacts in Chennai, it was never a struggle for him at any stage. Incidentally, the early scenes of his encounter with Ranjini remind one of a similar episode in the Hindi ‘Raincoat’ (rehashed in the Tamil ‘Nyabagangal’).
Considering that the reality show took quite a lot of footage, the director could have made the acts on the show more interesting.
The crucial scenes of guru’s plot to keep JR away from the show as a judge could have been better planned too. The director himself enacts a dual role — that of James, the small time conman who later helps Guru in his plot and John, the creative director of the reality show, the character more of a caricature. The comedy part hardly makes one laugh, working neither in dialogues nor situations. And what was meant to be a hilarious fun ride turns out to be a damp squib. The plot did have the potential to turn into an engaging comedy. But as it happens many a time, what may have seemed good on paper, is just not exciting enough when translated on to screen.