Bommai Tamil Movie Review

Bharath Vijayakumar

Radha Mohan’s Bommai has its leading man Raja Kumaran (S. J. Suryah) falling in love with a mannequin. Well, that is how it is to the outside world, but he sees something else or rather someone else in the form of a mannequin. Having an idea about the plot from the trailer, I was least expecting to buy into this narrative. But to Radha Mohan’s credit, he does set up the premise quite well and we relate to what the protagonist is going through. There is a convincing backstory, and the psychological condition of the protagonist ensures that there are reasonable answers to logical questions. And of course, S.J. Suryah does enough to get you invested. But once the proceedings get serious, Bommai begins to falter.

The major issue with Bommai is that it feels too simplistic for a film dealing with a complex situation and character. If it was a lighthearted film, this wouldn’t have been an issue. But Radha Mohan wants to narrate a serious love story or in the words of one of the characters in the film, ‘a fascinating love story’. But apart from a couple of scenes which has S.J Suryah run amok, the film never registers the seriousness of the situation. The tonal shifts also don’t help. The comedy or rather the attempts at comedy never really work. And the thriller angle too falls flat. And the songs. They only help in testing your patience. It is only S.J. Suryah and his earnestness that keep you invested.

As said earlier, at least till interval, Bommai remains passable with some interesting moments. But the second half has no hold whatsoever. Convenient writing choices ensures that believability goes for a toss as well. And the film feels dated. The long delay is an obvious reason, but I presume even without it the film would still feel dated. The romantic interchanges between S.J Suryah and Priya Bhavani Shankar feel silly at many places. But even that has a justifiable reason, given the state of mind of the protagonist. And the climax ought to have been impactful, given what happens on screen. But the writing and execution of these portions ensure that it never happens.

Bottomline

Bommai has an interesting core and an earnest S. J. Suryah going for it. But it feels dated, is predictable and too simplistic.

Rating: 2.5/5