Tamil Movie Review: Siruthai

Movie: Siruthai

Director: Siva

Producer: Studio Green

Music: Vidyasagar

Cast: Karthi, Tamannaah, Avinash, Santhanam

It may look easy, but the most difficult thing is to make remakes work. Karthi’s Siruthai directed by Siva is almost a scene by scene, dialogue by dialogue remake of Ravi Teja’s Telugu SS Rajamouli’s Vikramarkudu (2006).

First and foremost, SS Rajamouli’s Tamil remakes have not met with the same kind of success in Tamil, like the original in Telugu. Secondly, Ravi Teja’s unique style of comedy and action is very difficult to imitate.

The makers of Siruthai has a disclaimer in the beginning of the film which clearly says story takes place in Andhra, but characters will speak in Tamil! Rocket Raja (Karthi) is a petty thief and along with his buddy Kattupoochi (Santhanam) make merry. A rich girl Shwetha (Tamannaah) falls head over heels in love with our hero.

Suddenly out of the blue, a 5-year old girl pops up claiming that she is Rocket’s daughter and all hell breaks loose. The twist in the tale is a look-alike of Raja in the form of Retnavel Pandian (Karthi) an honest ‘Dirty Harry’ type of IPS officer who had cleaned up a lawless town in Kurnool held to ransom by Bhavuji (Avinash). The rest of the film is all about how Rocket Raja turns a good guy in uniform and takes care of baddies.

This is one of those mindless and stereotype mass entertainers we have seen in 70’s and 80’s, which will not appeal to the current generation. All the clichéd masalas associated with this genre- hero in a dual role, huge cardboard mansions, a rich pretty educated girl falling for an illiterate uncouth pickpocket, songs in foreign locations, loud crass comedy, item number, villains who ham throughout with funny wigs and a predictable climax.

Not that such genre comes with an expiry date, but a five-film old Karthi is no Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan in Dabangg)! And after doing sensible films till now, can’t figure out why this talented young actor chose such an old-fashioned film masquerading as an entertainer. Vidyasagar’s music makes you snore. Technically there is nothing to complain or talk about.

The performances by Karthi and Tamannaah are embarrassingly over-the-top. Our heart goes out to Tamannaah who is reduced to a mere caricature with too much of skin show. We really hope that she chooses projects in future that play up her strengths. The villains, Avinash & Co hams to the hilt. Santhanam is the only saving grace.

On the whole, Siruthai doesn’t have a shred of intelligence, and it suffers big time with a lame script.

Verdict: Test of endurance