Some posts back had marveled at Vijay Anthony, the music
director turned actor, for his knack of picking the best script that suit his
limitations yet are intriguingly good. Saithan, his latest movie, impressed
right from the trailer, with its scenes reminding of Sujatha’s AAH novel and
the movie posters only added to the mystery. Was eagerly awaiting its release
and the reviews were more or less similar to his other movies – being predominantly
positive and credit for his improving performance. Decided to take the risk and
saw the movie on second day.
Storywise, its about a newly married IT guy, who solve
complex issues with his obsessive dedication and concentration, when he suddenly starts hearing voices. What
starts as a jumbled incoherent mix of noise soon starts taunting him, forcing
him against his will and almost driving him to suicide. The voice keeps telling
him to kill some lady named Jayalakshmi who murdered him. It even makes him
create an accident in which he loses his friend. Considering the escalating
nature of his situation, he visits an psychiatrist who hypnotizes him to learn
about his past. When one expects the story to be that of re-incarnation, where
like all stories of similar theme, we are shown a library which has newspapers
from that very year carrying news of the very death of the very person whose
death the voice is trying to avenge. Till the interval block, the story moves
at break neck speed, with an interesting twist, yet expected one as to who Jayalakshmi
is. The BGM which croons “Jayalakshmi” adds to the eeriness. Once the story on
the previous birth is revealed, the plot losses all sense and gets dragged into
commercial masala mode, with hallucination inducing drugs and mad doctors,
organ farming on hapless victims and of course, our hero being super human to
withstand all the side effects of the super drug. Ending is similar to the
Anegan movie, where the audience are left to wonder, whether the story is
really about re-incarnation or is it all designed by the delirium of the lead
character.
Vijay Anthony, has taken what is possibly his most heavy
duty roles in his 5 movie career as an actor. But for him, no other character
has hardly any screen space as he hogs the screen time from start to finish. As
the music director, the songs were pretty sumaar but the BGM was rocking. Like
all his other movies, the heroine looked way too older and probably wouldn’t
find a movie to repeat in her career, but is solid in her performances.
Gils verdict – Considering the crap that established heroes
churn out, Vijay Anthony has been pretty decent in his efforts to bring out
different stories to screen. With the ghost of marketability and profit already
eating into his decision making, which are evident by the way the movie has
ended, hope sanity prevails and overcomes any such decision by him in future.
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