Review: Scene

Film: Scene
Cast: Suriya,Nazriya Nazim,Naslen,Anandraj,Lal, Raj Priyan and others
Writer, Director: Jithu Madhavan
Music: Sushin Shyam
DOP: Vineeth Augustian
Rating: 3.5 stars

Director Jithu Madhavan deserves appreciation for coming up with a screenplay that feels refreshingly different. With Scene, he attempts to strike a balance between comedy and an investigative crime thriller, seeking to appeal to audiences through both genres. While the film succeeds only to a limited extent in its attempt to entertain as a comedy, it scores handsomely as an investigative thriller.

Special appreciation is in order for Jithu Madhavan for the way he has conceived and written Surya’s character, Inbaraj. A police investigator with a disability, Inbaraj demonstrates that the ability to solve a crime has little to do with physical limitations. The manner in which he picks up seemingly insignificant clues, studies them, connects the dots and gradually pieces together a holistic picture of what actually transpired at the crime scene is fascinating. Watching him analyse evidence and arrive at conclusions through his powers of observation and reasoning is easily one of the film’s biggest strengths.

Nazriya, as his understanding and competent assistant, adds another interesting dimension to the narrative. The equation between the two characters and the manner in which they work together lend the investigative portions a distinct flavour, making the story an engaging and rather unique experience.

The director also deserves full marks for his casting choice of Naslen as Eeswaran, the antagonist. Naslen delivers a terrific performance that outshines those of the other actors. He brings an impressive intensity to the character and makes his presence felt every time he appears on screen.

While Scene may not completely succeed in its attempt to be an equally entertaining comedy and crime thriller, it more than makes up for its shortcomings with an engaging investigation, a fascinating protagonist and a refreshing approach to storytelling. Jithu Madhavan’s writing, particularly in the conception of Inbaraj, makes the film an interesting watch. And with Naslen delivering a standout performance, Scene manages to leave a strong impression.