Sundattam Movie Review

by Raven

‘Sundattam’, as the name suggests, is based on board game carrom and the gambling involved in it. The movie has Irfan of ‘Kana Kanum Kaalangal’ fame and newcomer Arundhathi in the lead roles. The movie is directed by Brahma G. Dev. While songs are composed by Britto Michael, background score is done by Achu of ‘Maalai Pozhudhin Mayakkathilaey’ fame.

The Plot

The movie is set in 1990 and revolves around Prabhakaran (Irfan), a carrom player who plays for money at local clubs. He gets into trouble when his encounter with Kasi (Madhu) ends up in a tussle. Kasi, also a carrom player, works for Bhagya (Narain), who runs a carrom club himself. Meanwhile, Prabhakaran falls for his sister’s friend Kalai (Arundhathi) and tries to win her love. Also, there is rivalry between Bhagya and another carrom club's owner. The movie has too many sub-plots, which makes the film look tiresome.

Performances

Irfan proves that he can deliver on the big screen too. This film has given him more scope when compared to his debut film ‘Pattalam’, and he has used the opportunity well. However, he could probably work on his dialogue delivery and voice modulation. Arundhathi has little scope and she has given a decent performance.

Madhu (Pachai of ‘Kana Kanum Kaalangal’ fame) has given a matured performance as a drug addict. He scores well in intense scenes. The supporting actors including Narain and Stalin have justified their roles.

Technicalities

Britto Michael’s songs are hummable and ‘Narumugaye’ song stands out from the rest. However, too many songs affect the movie’s flow in the second half. Achu’s background score fits the bill and cinematography by Balagurunathan is functional.

Art department must be given the credits for getting the right look for the film. Be it a bus or a cycle rickshaw, the properties used in the movie look authentic.

Script and Direction – Brahma G. Dev

The movie shows glimpse of promise in the beginning, even though the plot might remind you of ‘Aadukalam’. As the movie progresses, the movie splits into too many sub-layers which blurs the central theme.

The director has clearly missed out to focus on one plot and the screenplay suffers a lot due to this. It looks as if each sub-plot is treated separately and stringed together, rather than cohesively including them in the main plot. The movie ends in a rather contrived manner, which makes us think as if it has become a ritual to end all the small budget movies in this way.

Bottomline

Sundattam could have been a better game, if the director had focused more on the central plot and strengthened it.

Rating –