Ever since the announcement that Suriya would star in a film directed by Jithu Madhavan, massive expectations were built around it. Adding to this excitement, the fact that Nazriya is returning as the female lead after a long hiatus, alongside Naslen making his Tamil cinema debut, generated immense buzz. With the promotional material for the movie Scene hitting all the right notes, Suriya’s fans and movie buffs alike eagerly awaited its release. Finally, the film has hit the big screens on the occasion of Diwali. Let’s dive into the review to see how the movie is and how well it resonates with the audience.
Story:
Premraj (Suriya) is a crime branch police officer. Known for his sharp intellect in solving complex cases, he considers quitting his job due to a personal problem he is facing. However, this issue comes to light through a serial killer named Victor (Tovino Thomas), reaching Crime Branch Head Stephen (Lal), who promptly fires Premraj. Around the same time, a mysterious killer goes on a sprees of similar murders across the city. Despite losing his badge due to allegations against him, Premraj challenges Stephen that he will crack the case. For this serial killer investigation, he brings in Maya (Nazriya Nazim) as his assistant. How does Premraj—while battling a critical personal problem—manage to track down Ishwar (Naslen), the killer committing murders without leaving a trace? How does his relationship with Maya evolve? This forms the crux of the story.
Analysis:
Suriya’s willingness to step out of his regular commercial image mold and choose fresh stories and characters is commendable. However, the director failed to back this actor’s experiment with a strong script and gripping screenplay. Generally, in serial killer-based films, the mind games and cat-and-mouse chase between the hero and the villain should deliver edge-of-the-seat thrills. Yet, the tactics employed by the police officer to catch the villain feel rather silly. To elevate the hero, the surrounding police force is portrayed as incompetent, which compromises the natural flow of the narrative. While all the main characters are shown to have some sort of weakness or struggle, their backstories lack clarity. Situations in the plot conveniently turn in the hero’s favor. Even though the director attempted to craft an intelligent investigative thriller, the screenplay fails to engage the audience.
The movie’s primary strength lies in Suriya’s performance and his bold experiment. Playing a visually impaired police officer, he captivates the audience with his effortless style and stylish look. Though this is not a commercial hero role, he brings depth to the character with his vast experience. Additionally, Nazriya impresses with her screen presence, while the occasional humor provides some comic relief and respite for the viewers. On the downside, the lack of logic and the overly convenient scenarios written for the hero hurt the film’s realism. Most importantly, the lack of strength in the villain’s character robs the crime thriller of its required suspense.
Cast Performance:
Suriya shines brightly as a police officer dealing with a personal struggle, pulling off a stylish and jovial body language. Taking on such an experimental role—shunning mass elevations, fight sequences, and romantic tracks—is a huge risk, and he plays his part naturally and effortlessly. Suriya’s acting is undoubtedly the biggest asset of the film. Nazriya Nazim wins hearts with her cute performance as Maya, though her character could have been written with more substance; the impact on screen didn’t quite match the pre-release hype. Naslen falls short of delivering the cruelty and dominance expected of a serial killer. Supporting actors like Anandaraj, Lal, and a few others playing police officers provide some laughs here and there. The hero’s parents’ roles fail to make much of an impression. Jyotika and Tovino Thomas make brief cameo appearances.
Technical Department:
Director Jithu Madhavan, who brilliantly blended dark comedy in films like Romancham and Aavesham, fails to recreate that magic this time around. He struggles to properly integrate comedy into a crime thriller, driving the narrative with illogical scenes. Sushin Shyam’s background score is disappointing; the music wavers, caught in confusion over whether to build a thriller mood or support the comedic elements. Vineeth Augustine’s cinematography is decent. Although the runtime is just 2 hours and 29 minutes, the sluggish screenplay makes the film feel much longer, with over half of the story unfolding inside a single house.