Review: Sandakaari : Cine Observer

Film: Sandakaari
Director: Madhesh
Cast: Vemal, Shriya saran , Sathyan, Prabu, K.R.Vijaya, Rekha, Dhev khill, Uma padmanaban, Crane Manohar, Mahanathi Shankar
Cinematography: R.B.Gurudev
Music: Amrish
Editor: Dinesh ponraj
Art Director: Iyyapan
Rating: 2.5 stars

Synopsis:
Vemal, who plans to develop his own app someday, joins a company in the UK in which Shriya Saran, a no-nonsense, hard task master is the Chief Marketing Officer. Vemal, who joins as her secretary, has a tough time and seeks an opportunity to take revenge on his boss. As luck would have it, Shriya’s Visa expires and she has no way of continuing in the company. She has a wild idea and realises that if she gets married to Vemal, she will automatically gain citizenship and be able to continue to work. She threatens him into marrying her and he agrees but not before she agrees to visit his home back in India. What happens then is what the film is all about.

Analysis:

Director Madesh’s Sandakaari is a film that works in parts. There are a few humorous portions that land well and provide genuine entertainment, while several others fail to create the intended impact. The inconsistency in the writing and execution prevents the film from coming together as a satisfying whole.

Casting is one of the film’s biggest problems. The claim that Vimal’s character is a British citizen does not sound convincing. For one, his parents are Indian citizens living in India, which makes the backstory difficult to accept. More importantly, his English is hopelessly bad, making the character’s supposed British identity even harder to believe. Details like these may seem minor, but when a story depends on such claims, they can significantly affect its credibility.

That said, Sandakaari does have its entertaining moments. The sequences featuring Sathyan and Vemal provide some of the film’s lighter and more enjoyable portions. Their presence brings a certain energy to the proceedings, and these scenes work better than several of the film’s other comic attempts.

Ultimately, Sandakaari is a mixed bag — a film with some enjoyable stretches and flashes of humour, but one that is held back by inconsistent comedy, questionable casting choices and elements of the story that are difficult to buy.