A comedy script can be a crowd puller, Director Sathyasiva has tried this time tested formula with Savaale Samaali (2015) but unfortunately with a wafer thin storyline. I am surprised how an accomplished actor like Arunpandian can produce such a film with this weak screenplay. Talking of ArunPandian, I am a fan of his fine performances in movies including Chidambara Rahasiyam (1985) & Oomai Vizhigal (1986).
When the curtain raises and title cards are illuminating the screen we are introduced to the protagonist Karthik (played by Ashok Selvan of Soodhu Kaavum 2013) by (only) dialogues spoken by his parents, siting up with this uncommon entry we expect a different film only to be disappointed in the next 140 minutes. Karthik is an unemployed visual communication graduate who gets his break in a local television channel Top10 owned by Karunas and managed by Production “Chief” Jagan. Karthik on first sight falls in love with his sister’s classmate Divya played by Bindu Madhavi (OKMK 2014, Tamizhuku En Ondrai 2015) and does all imaginable stupid things to attract her, initial few attempts are enjoyable but pretty soon it gets stale. If Tamilians are bored by seeing only Male characters on screen drinking, in this film we see the Folk singer Paravai Muniyamma as Karthik’s intoxicated Grandma opening a beer bottle without an opener, aimed at bringing laughter it made me feel sad.
The attempts by Karthik & Chief to turn around the ailing TV station are simply boring. Their final attempt which succeeds sails through thanks to the performances of Manobala and Oorvasi. We see veterans Nassar and M.S.Bhaskar being wasted in the film with little characters. Aishwarya (actress Lakshmi’s daughter) appears in the now customary TASMAC Bar Pathos song Nallavana Kettavana, thank god she only sings and dances defending the innocence of girls. Music is by Thaman, the song Ethanai Kavignen is shot in Switzerland Basel city, the visuals of the lovely city bringing relief to an otherwise goods train like experience.
Savaale Samaali