Sabaash Sariyaana Potti is directed by popular TV actor Venu Aravind. After years at the head of television, he has ventured into directing. Now, the unavoidable question is, does he know film directing? Can you answer the skeptics and skepticism of him? Has your trust in relatively new faces paid off? Can he move on to directing the next one?
Sabaash Sariyaana Potti is about a young man’s (Sriram Karthik) aspirations for fame and well-being. He is attracted to an actor (Jayaram as JR), who whistles and dances for his idol in theaters. After a chance meeting with the star, the young man travels to Chennai secured by a false promise to participate in a movie. Will Jayaram help him and what will happen to Sriram Karthik? He Goes to the theaters in search of the answers!
Director Venu Aravind begins with a voiceover introduction of his characters. Sriram lives in Vaadipatti with his widowed mother (Sri Ranjani). Sriram is a mime artist. When Jayaram visits his driver’s wedding, Sriram performs a mime before him. Jayaram promises her a future in Chennai for which he would offer all his help. Believing his words, Sriram moves to Chennai. Sriram repeatedly annoys Jayaram so Jayaram beats him up. Sriram then promises to become as successful as Jayaram.
Venu Aravind knows the direction quite well, but the budget is probably not enough. He makes not only a director, but also a writer. Explaining the characters’ traits in advance, he writes relevant scenes in the second half. Very cleverly, Jayaram’s level of consciousness, after the rounds of alcohol, is used effectively in the end. Although the movie gets tedious and long in the second half, it grabs attention again with surprising twists and turns.
Sriram Karthik performs well, but most of his emotions seem irrational. Annoying an actor or any other person to such an extent would result in physical assault. You can’t justify Sriram’s behavior towards Jayaram, which cuts off the empathy you should feel for the lead actor. Similarly, after jayaram insults Sriram, Sri Ranjani (mother) says to Sriram (son), “Edhavadhu Velaya irukkundhirupaaru. Andha Mavaraasana paathutae vaapa.” These days, mothers don’t encourage hero worship of their children, even in the villages. However, if you’re wondering if Jayaram is justified for his short temper, he ultimately is, with good reason.
The attempted satire on political issues and the aspirations of the actors towards politics ensure laughter and social thought. Less number of songs in the first half and more in the second half adds to the length. The songs, in inappropriate places, push you into boredom. However, the script picks up the pace before the climax. Vijayakath Ali Khan and Venu Aravind’s dialogues, mixed with humor, help keep the pace going. Thaman shows inspirations from Yuvan Shankar Raja but adds color due to his recent popularity. The casting has greatly saved the film from the amateur. Venu Aravind, in double role, uses his presence on the screen and his sense of humor to make a mark.