Director: Balaji Tharaneetharan
Cast: Mouli, Vijay Sethupathi
“If you can do what you do best and be happy, you’re further along in life than most people.” – Leonardo DiCaprio
Seethakathi marks the re-union of Vijay Sethupathi with director Balaji Tharaneetharan who gave him one of his earliest career wins through the cult film Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom a few years back. Expectations for this film were hence sky high, not least also because this was Vijay Sethupathi’s twenty fifth outing.
Ayya Aadhimoolam (Vijay Sethupathi) is an elderly theatre artiste who’s performances once captivated audiences. Times have changed however, and for the worse from his perspective as his shows now see dwindling crowds. He is also challenged on the personal front as his ailing grandson’s treatment requires financial support on an immediate basis. This is where the film takes a surprising turn and Ayya makes his foray into films in the most unimaginable way! Can Ayya make his mark in tinsel town as well? The rest of the film answers this and chronicles this crazy new adventure of his!
The high point of the film is undoubtedly the screenplay, after the initial couple of segments at least. The film starts off very slowly. The first forty five minutes or so really test your patience. This is basically the sequence that establishes the character of Ayya to the audience. This falls flat to a large extent due to a mix of lack of creativity and unnecessarily lengthy scenes that don’t really capture your imagination. But thankfully, the film takes off with lightning speed from here on. The scenes that follow are just hilarious and electric! There is a sequence involving the ‘Naduvula Konjam’ duo of Rajkumar and ‘Bags’ Bagavathi that is an absolute riot and has the whole hall in splits. The fun just doesn’t stop and the icing on cake is the rip-roaring final act in the film which is about a producer who also wants to play the lead role in his own film. The director more than makes up for the sluggish start and the film as a whole enthralls and entertains as promised!
Balaji Tharaneetharan and Vijay Sethupathi are a match made in heaven for cinema aficionados. You cannot think of another actor today who might have agreed to take up such a quirky script. Make no mistake, this could have all gone horribly wrong. The script demanded perfection and an acting masterclass from every actor to make it work and boy, have they delivered! There are references throughout the film, and also a whole scene dedicated to a debate on the failings of the modern day film industry when it comes to supporting raw creative talent. Well, Vijay Sethupathi is the torch bearer of this movement today. He is Ayya Aadhimoolam.
Overall rating: 3.5/5
