Sirai
is a Tamil film. When you look at the cast, apart from Vikram Prabhu, the only familiar faces are P.L. Thenappan as the judge and Munnar Ramesh, who played Dhanush's father in Pudhupettai. But by the time you finish watching this film, many new faces would have become familiar to you. Alright, let's see how this film was.
According to the story, Vikram Prabhu is not the hero here. However, he is the only one with star value, the only face we recognize. That's because the story is told to us through his perspective. Just as we are in the story, so is Vikram Prabhu. He is the first audience for this story. He plays a constable whose main duty is escort duty, taking prisoners from jail to court for hearings. On one such occasion, he shoots and kills a prisoner who attempts to escape. He receives scoldings and complaints from his superiors, yet he is still on duty. That means he hasn't lost his job, but it is subtly conveyed to us that he is in a situation where he could lose it at any time. The prisoner he escorts is the core of the story.
That prisoner is a newcomer. The entire story revolves around him. His life itself seems like it could break free at any moment. He isn't a gangster. He's a lover. When you love someone, you can't stay away from them, right? With that same urge, he has been shuttling between court and prison as an undertrial prisoner for five years. It's not like his case is actively being heard either. Most judges, when the case comes before them, simply announce the next hearing date and send him back. So where is the time to complete the trial, deliver a sentence, let him serve it, and then go out and marry his lover? So what is the case about? It's a murder case. Yes, he accidentally pushes his lover's father, which leads to the man's death. It could even have been a case where no one knew who was responsible. But because he wants to be honest to his lover and to the nation, he surrenders himself.
We too have doubts. How can the girl continue loving someone who killed her father? We go into the investigation with that same mindset, just like Vikram Prabhu who escorts him to court. Those scenes don't necessarily give us goosebumps. But just as Vikram Prabhu slowly develops respect and affection for the prisoner, we too begin to feel the same. What follows are nerve-wracking moments that we must pass through. Every sequence feels like walking on the edge of a knife. The girl, Kalaiyarasi, is a newcomer only to Tamil. She has already acted in Malayalam films. I was surprised when I looked it up on Google.
Within a short while after starting the film, I did feel as if I might be watching a remake of Mynaa. But after finishing the entire film, I realized this story is the other side of that dialogue spoken by Sasikumar in Ayothi. Just as Ayothi is a film that our country really needs, Sirai is equally a film we truly need. Without getting into any logical arguments, we can simply add this to the list of meaningful cinema. It is truly worth it!
is a Tamil film. When you look at the cast, apart from Vikram Prabhu, the only familiar faces are P.L. Thenappan as the judge and Munnar Ramesh, who played Dhanush's father in Pudhupettai. But by the time you finish watching this film, many new faces would have become familiar to you. Alright, let's see how this film was.
According to the story, Vikram Prabhu is not the hero here. However, he is the only one with star value, the only face we recognize. That's because the story is told to us through his perspective. Just as we are in the story, so is Vikram Prabhu. He is the first audience for this story. He plays a constable whose main duty is escort duty, taking prisoners from jail to court for hearings. On one such occasion, he shoots and kills a prisoner who attempts to escape. He receives scoldings and complaints from his superiors, yet he is still on duty. That means he hasn't lost his job, but it is subtly conveyed to us that he is in a situation where he could lose it at any time. The prisoner he escorts is the core of the story.
That prisoner is a newcomer. The entire story revolves around him. His life itself seems like it could break free at any moment. He isn't a gangster. He's a lover. When you love someone, you can't stay away from them, right? With that same urge, he has been shuttling between court and prison as an undertrial prisoner for five years. It's not like his case is actively being heard either. Most judges, when the case comes before them, simply announce the next hearing date and send him back. So where is the time to complete the trial, deliver a sentence, let him serve it, and then go out and marry his lover? So what is the case about? It's a murder case. Yes, he accidentally pushes his lover's father, which leads to the man's death. It could even have been a case where no one knew who was responsible. But because he wants to be honest to his lover and to the nation, he surrenders himself.
We too have doubts. How can the girl continue loving someone who killed her father? We go into the investigation with that same mindset, just like Vikram Prabhu who escorts him to court. Those scenes don't necessarily give us goosebumps. But just as Vikram Prabhu slowly develops respect and affection for the prisoner, we too begin to feel the same. What follows are nerve-wracking moments that we must pass through. Every sequence feels like walking on the edge of a knife. The girl, Kalaiyarasi, is a newcomer only to Tamil. She has already acted in Malayalam films. I was surprised when I looked it up on Google.
Within a short while after starting the film, I did feel as if I might be watching a remake of Mynaa. But after finishing the entire film, I realized this story is the other side of that dialogue spoken by Sasikumar in Ayothi. Just as Ayothi is a film that our country really needs, Sirai is equally a film we truly need. Without getting into any logical arguments, we can simply add this to the list of meaningful cinema. It is truly worth it!
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