PLOT
The location known as Saudi near Thoppumpadi is the subject of the movie Saudi Vellakka. Police issued a summons to a young guy called Abhilash Sasidharan, warning him that he would be detained if he didn’t show up for court. The case in question was based on an occurrence over 15 years ago. We learn more about it in Saudi Vellakka, as well as how the characters’ equation changed as time passed.
REVIEW
The movie’s opening hour is particularly thrilling since it mainly centres on a group of people attempting to secure bail for an older woman. Tharun Moorthy does a great job setting the stage, from the intricate procedures to numerous humorous moments. However, the movie changes course at the break to become a story of empathy and compassion.
But, Tharun is developing many subplots for that. It is challenging for us to support them because of the case’s fragility and the emotional strain the mother character is experiencing. Although this irony was intended, the film’s dramatisation was overdone from screenplay to screen.
Devi Varma makes a powerful impression as Ayesha Ravuthar. One could see the pain in her acting even though the character doesn’t show much emotion but has a lot going on within her thoughts. Pauly Valsan, who dubbed that character, deserves a lot of praise. As Britto, Binu Pappu is given a part that gives him plenty of room to express the three facets of the character.
Sujith Shankar’s portrayal of the edgy Sathaar was his most moving performance. Lukman Avaran’s character only appears on the screen during the film’s final thirty minutes. However, the performance was excellent. There are a lot of well-known faces in both big and little roles on the cast list.
Through this film, Tharun is attempting to explore and cover problems related to court cases, human psychology, empathy, compassion, etc. However, there are parts of the movie where the side stories he invented to represent all of them don’t mesh together. The humour in the second half amply illustrates this blending problem.
Sharan Velayudhan’s cinematography uses static frames and handheld shots to capture legal proceedings and stressful circumstances to avoid becoming overly flashy. The second half of the film’s tempo could have been far less dramatic and much more enjoyable. The background music, occasionally repeated during the film’s emotional scenes, was lovely.
Rating – 3/5
In the end, Tharun Moorthy’s film is a well-told drama with some incredibly genuine performances.
Tharun Moorthy is the film’s director, and Sandip Senan is its producer. Significant parts are played by Gokulan, Sujith Shanker, Dhanya Ananya, Devi Varma, Lukman Avaran, and Ramya Suresh. On December 2, 2022, it premiered on theater screens. Beginning January 6, 2023, it will stream on the Sony LIV platform.
