Movie Review : Sirai

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 A young cop Kathiravan( Vikram Prabhu) is assigned the duty to oversee the escorting of an young undertrial Abdul Rauf ( LK Akshay Kumar) along with two other constables, from Vellore jail to Sivagangai, for a court hearing.


During the long bus journey, Kathiravan gets to hear the backstory of Abdul, who has been an undertrial for 5 years, with no lawyer nor any family to fight his case, as he is an orphan. The cops discover many more painful truths about the young man which makes Kathiravan empathise with him and want to help him. But things are not easy and the path to find justice for him seems an uphill task.

What is his backstory? Does Kathir manage to help him? Does Abdul get justice?

The film grips you right from the word go and keeps you hooked till the last shot. And it manages to do so  due to a variety of reasons.



High on drama, suspense, raw emotions, sentiment and romance, the film also has a beautiful message,  about the power of empathy and how people with power,  however limited in form, can use it in the smallest of ways, to make a big difference in the lives of the helpless.  And it drives through the message sans any preaching but with skilled storytelling, well fleshed-out characters and  a superby handpicked cast that delivers all guns firing.

Director Suresh Rajakumari brings to the screen a rarely seen part of a cops duty, that of escorting prisoners to court. The sheer detailing in scenes, not only lends credibility but also keeps you invested and curious.

The suspense build-up is immensely successful, keeping the viewer wondering about what's next.  The action scenes are raw and natural, especially in the village sequences, lending more realism to the narration.

The songs by Justin Prabhakaran are soulful and his bgm is quietly powerful. Madhesh Manickam's camera takes in every detail sharply, infused with powerful close -ups in the rivetting action and emotional scenes. Editor Philomin Raj deserves special mention as he keeps the scenes at just the right length, making them even more effective, where less is more. 


With every department on track, the crowning glory of Sirai are the performances. Vikram Prabhu is perfectly cast, delivering one of his career best performances. Subtlety is his middle name and director Suresh has brought to the fore this quality of the actor.  Even with a towering physique and commanding stature, he still brings out to perfection, an emotional core crucial for the role. His dialogue delivery is spot on, as are his expressions and body language  be it as husband, cop or  an empathetic symbol of power to the helpless Abdul. The montage song with Ananda Thambirajah as wife Mariyam  beautifully brings out their relationship. 

Newbie LK Akshay Kumar delivers an intense, energetic, stirring and powerful performance in a fantastic debut, striking the right emotional chords, with a deeply moving portrayal of the innocent, helpless youth caught in a web, with no hope in sight. 

Anishma Anilkumar as his lover, Kalaiarasi, is the perfect foil, rendering a refreshing, emotionally charged performance, which adds value to the story. 

The supporting cast members, from mothers of Abdul and Kalai, her brother-,in-law and sister and the cops on duty, all deliver resounding acts which further elevate the film.

On the flip side, there are situations and dialogues which seem conveniently added to perhaps elevate the conflict. Mariyam's role seems too shortlived, to have much bearing on the story. 

With peak performances,  a raw soulful core grounded in roots, a screenplay  high on drama, suspense and emotionally resonant, realistic dialogues and  moving story, Sirai is a must watch. 

Rating 4/5

Cast :

Vikram Prabhu as Kathiravan

LK Akshay Kumar as Abdul Rauf

Anishma Anilkumar as Kalaiarasi

Ananda Thambirajah as Mariyam

Crew

Director: Suresh Rajakumari

Director of Photography: Madhesh Manickam

Music: Justin Prabhakaran

Editor: Philomin Raj

Story: Tamizh

Screenplay: Tamizh, Suresh Rajakumari

Production Designer: Raghavan Sanjeevi

Costume Designer: Varshini Sankar

Choreographer: Leelavathi Kumar

Stunt: PC Stunts

Sound Design: Sync Cinema

Sound Mix: SP Narayanan

VFX: Spectre Post

DI: G Balaji

Publicity Design : Sivakumar S (sivadigitalart)

Casting Director: CK Surendra Thanu Murthy

Stills: Sarathy

PRO: Yuvraaj

Production Executive : RS Venkat

Executive Producer: Arun K | Manikandan

Creative Producer: Arosam




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