With Saamy 2, we have got this year's most engaging mass masala movie. When you have a mass hero in full form like Chiyaan is in the film, how can things go wrong?
Saamy2 is the third time actor Vikram and director Hari come together, for what can only be described as a ‘Hari padam’ (Hari film). While Saamy (2003) was a blockbuster and is considered a cult hit, Saamy2 isn’t necessarily in the same league, although it doesn’t fail to entertain. Keerthy Suresh plays Vikram’s underused love interest.
Story:
There are a few films which were blockbusters and has a potential to make sequels because of the powerful lead characters and backdrops. Saami, which was released in 2003 in Tamil was a blockbuster with Vikram as Saami under the direction of Hari. Now, Hari and Vikram are coming into audience with a sequel for Saami under the name of Saami Square which has Aishwarya Rajesh replacing Trisha and Keerthi Suresh as another heroine. Trailers released so far are promising very heavy and ample does of commercial elements in a very fast paced Hari screenplay and shots. This movie is releasing in both Telugu and Tamil today and let’s see how it works on us.
Ram Saami (Vikram) works as front office manager to a central minister (Prabhu). He write civil services exams to become IAS officer and await results. He then falls in love with Central minister’s daughter (Keerthi Suresh). He passes those exams with first grades and opts for IPS and gets his first posting in Vijayawada. His family gets horrified by his selection as they are unaware of his IPS choice. He then gets to know about his father Parasurama Saami, IPS and how he got killed in the hands of Ravana Bikshu (Bobby Simha) and their influence in Vijayawada. How he took revenge on Ravana Bikshu and how he saved Vijayawada from their influence is the rest of the story.
Review:
Vikram plays Saamy’s (also played by Vikram in the 2003 film) son, who is a freshly minted IPS officer, all of 28-years-old. Vikram is currently 52 years old, and the wrinkles have begun to show. While the actor manages to work in some youth in his body language, the film requires the audience to exercise their ability to suspend disbelief. Keerthy Suresh, who is paired opposite him is probably half his actual age, so it gets a bit weird in some scenes.
But it is literally thanks to his on-screen presence that the movie works, father’s-spirit-in-son’s-body and all.
Keerthy Suresh does enlighten the screen now and then. But how many times are we as Tamil cinema fans going to see the heroine fall immediately in love after watching the hero fight and save them? Bobby Simha as the baddie looks menacing. He is an interesting addition and more of him might have given an overall edge to the film. He serves the purpose with nothing much to complain.
Aishwarya Rajesh replaces Trisha in the Saamy franchise and she tries her best to fit in. Unfortunately, we struggle to connect with the character. Her Brahmin slang could have been tweaked a little as it sounded a bit artificial. If Soori’s duty was to evoke laughter and bring in the lighter vein to the plot, sadly, it has not succeeded. He has a background score which goes like ‘maan maan Saktiman, man man superman,’ the lyrics say it all, you can imagine how odd it would suit a movie like Saamy.
DSP (Devi Sri Prasad) scores music for Saamy 2. Like the movie itself, the music works, but isn’t original. At all. Or does it?The songs are thumpy and make you want to dance, but all too familiar, and have visible shades of his previous tunes. ‘Pudhu Metro Rail’ is the one song that kind of sticks, for lack of a better option.
The background score though, is surprisingly good, and serves up the nostalgia of the original Saamy in goose-bumpy thumpiness. Cinematography is fine and editing is crisp. Stunts and action sequences are composed well. Production values are apt.
Review Ratings: ✯✯✯/5
