Review: Sabari
'Sabari' stars Varalaxmi Sarathkumar and Baby Krithika as a mother-daughter duo. The film is produced by Mahendra Nath Kondla under Maha Movies. It is currently playing in cinemas. How is the movie? What to expect from it? Let's find out in our review:
Plot:
Sanjana (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar) and Rhea (Baby Krithika) are a mother-daughter duo living a normal life. Sanjana is rebuilding her life after a major upheaval on the personal front. Her life turns even more harder when she comes to know that a madman is on the prowl to nab Rhea. When Sanjana and Rhea move to a new house on the outskirts of the city, eerie incidents threaten their safety.
Who is the mad man and why is he after them? How does Sanjana work out a solution? Is there a solution in the first place? What is her past all about? Answers to these questions are found as the film progresses.
Performances:
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar is quite good as a beleaguered woman who has no clue how to protect her daughter. She has played negative and positive roles in her career. But the one in this thriller will stand out as a performance that has her in quite an emotional part. Baby Krithika is cute.
Ganesh Venkatraman has a different role that is not on expected lines. Shashank makes a return in the role of a Good Samaritan lawyer. Mime Gopi plays the main antagonist with so much menace.
Plus Points:
The storyline is interesting.
The screenplay is clever.
There is a level of suspense in how Sanjana's past and state of mind are portrayed.
The dialogues are sharp.
Gopi Sundar's background score is apt.
Minus Points:
The climax could have been better.
Analysis:
Psychological thrillers can be a tricky business. Director Anil Katz understands the limitations and challenges of the genre. He pens the script in such a way that his actors are clued into what he wants from them. Varalaxmi shows vulnerability and saves many scenes from feeling regular.
The second half has the plot entering a new territory. None of the twists are forced. What happens when a single parent is confronted with unmitigated threats? How does she handle them? Will she compromise on her ethics? Will she surrender to lesser morals? These questions have been handled without preachiness.
The film should have imbibed some lessons from new-age crime thrillers. The climax is rushed.
At the end of the day, the film works because of how a dicey situation plays out in the larger scheme of things. There are no unnecessary characters.
Verdict: Sabari is an interesting film with no forced twists. The psychological drama turns into a crime thriller at the right time.
