Sathya is a mystery thriller directed by Saithan fame Pradeep Krishnamoorthi. This remake of super hit Telugu film Kshanam features Sibiraj, Remya Nambeesan and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar in the lead roles.
An NRI, returns to India to find the daughter of his ex-girlfriend who gets kidnapped or does she really have a daughter in the first place? Anymore said about the movie might end up being a spoiler. Hence, let’s move on straight to what worked and what didn’t in Sathya.
When you are remaking a successful film, comparisons are bound to arise. Justifying the original, all the central actors in Sathya have delivered pretty well. Sathya is a film that looks aptly made for Sibiraj, who has been thoughtful in selecting his recent films. He gets to play an ordinary man who ends up in the middle of a mysterious situation. Unlike his previous hyperactive characters, Sibiraj keeps his emotions more subtle in Sathya, which mostly goes well with his character description.
The love portions between Sibiraj and Remya Nambeesan are well-sketched. The screenplay is very cleverly designed in a way that the love story doesn’t mellow down the core content in any way. The romance part is intermittent but doesn’t distract or reduce the intensity of the suspense factor.
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar’s presence adds an extra colour to the film. Sathish has better scope to score than the other supporting actors. Anandraj deserves a special mention for pulling off his role with grace and style. Yogi Babu has little screen space but scores high with his comedy punches.
The main plus in Sathya is the intriguing storyline that keeps you guessing as to what will happen next, making up for a good whodunit. Storywriter Adivi Sesh needs to be applauded for creating a watertight script as such. But one feels the overall execution could have been a tad better with such a strong story in hand. Some of the supporting actors' lip-sync are out of place in a few scenes, which could have been paid more attention to.
Coming to the technical aspects, music director Simon K King has already proved his worth with the ‘Yuvvana’ number, which seems to be topping the audio charts. His background score is a huge support for the film, contributing mightily to the suspense elements and thrills. Cinematographer Arunmani Palani’s stylish visuals make an impact.
All that said, the film is kept crisp at two hours, but it could have been a bit more gripping especially towards the end. It is undoubtedly a well-woven mystery tale but could have been a little racier.
[Review based on a special preview show to the press members on December 7th. Catch the film in theatres, from the 8th of December]
Yavvana
Singers: Yazin Nizar, Kalyani Nair
Lyricist: Madhan Karky
Yavvana, which had been released as a single is a drum and guitar based rockish melody. It seems very attractive right from the first listen and the singers Yazin and Kalyani do complete justice. Yazin’s high pitch portions are commendable and special mention to Madhan Karky for using simple yet catchy lyrics. Apart from guitars and drum dosage, there is also of strings and ghatam in the background with a nice Hindustani touch at the end.
Kadhal Project
Singers: Benny Dayal, Keerthana Vaidyanathan, Sharanya Gopinath, Yazin Nizar
Lyrics: Madhan Karky
Kadhal Project is an out and out western number with Benny Dayal crooning and humming right from the start. It is again a drum dominated track with heavy banking on chords and piano. There is also a violin portion which is fast and worth mentioning. A tinge of classical tune delivered by Keerthana and Sharanya are good. The end has a fuze of western and classical making it interesting for the listener.
Sangu
Singers: Simon K King
Lyricist: Madhan Karky
A stylish attempt by Simon K King, sung by the composer himself. It has a heavy use of guitars that persist throughout the number. It has the theme of the protagonist on a mission with nice lyrics by Karky. EDM and electronic beats take over after a while with a Kuthu tinge in the backdrop that brings the folk genre to the fore as well to finish with.
Sangu - Area Version
Singers: Simon K King
Lyricist: Rokesh
A number very similar to the Sangu song. It is titled the area version and has been crooned by the Simon again. Lyrics have been handled by Rokesh this time, and the use of instruments is the same as that of Sangu. The only significant difference is the lyrics, and the area version is not very different as it also ends with the Kuthu style.
Yavvana - Reprise
Singers: Keerthana Vaidyanathan, Yazin Nizar
Lyricist: Madhan Karky
Yavvana’s reprise version is a much slower version with emotions kindled right from the start. Both the singers deliver their best and Yazin steals the show with his peaks. The instruments are very attractive, and the pace is so soothing. Melodious and beautifully woven out with a nice flute at the end by the composer Simon K King. Could be part of an emotional scene’s outburst as it has a lot to offer.
In search for Sathya - theme
Instrumental
The ‘In search for Sathya’ theme starts off in an eerie manner. It seems to cater to a crime thriller genre. Mild pianos dominate the theme music. The use of synth lingers here and there. The latter half of the theme is very interesting as the drums are back and they give it an entirely different dimension.