How Sundaattam Portrays the Real-Life Incidents of Carrom Gambling in Chennai
Sundaattam: A Review of the 2013 Tamil Movie Starring Irfan and Arundhati
Sundaattam is a 2013 Tamil action drama movie directed by Brahma G. Dev and produced by R. Annadurai. The movie stars Irfan and Arundhati in the lead roles, along with Madhu, Aadukalam Naren, Stalin, Sendrayan, and Misha Ghoshal in supporting roles. The movie is based on true incidents of carrom gambling in Royapuram area in North Madras in the 1990s. The movie was released on 8 March 2013 and received average reviews from critics and audiences.
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The Plot
The movie revolves around Prabhakaran (Irfan), a talented carrom player who plays the game only for gambling. He lives with his mother and sister Uma (Misha Ghoshal) in a small house in Royapuram. He is in love with Kalaivani (Arundhati), the daughter of Bhagya Annachi (Aadukalam Naren), a local don who controls the carrom gambling business in the area.
Prabhakaran's life takes a turn when he meets Kasi (Madhu), a rival carrom player who works for Guna (Stalin), another don who wants to take over Bhagya Annachi's territory. Kasi challenges Prabhakaran to a carrom match and bets his entire money on it. Prabhakaran accepts the challenge and wins the match, but Kasi refuses to pay him and escapes.
Prabhakaran follows Kasi to his hideout and demands his money. There he meets Guna, who offers him a deal. He asks Prabhakaran to join his gang and play carrom for him against Bhagya Annachi's men. He promises to pay him more money and also help him marry Kalaivani. Prabhakaran agrees to the deal, unaware of Guna's ulterior motives.
Prabhakaran starts playing carrom for Guna and wins every match against Bhagya Annachi's men. He also earns Guna's trust and becomes his right-hand man. However, he also faces the wrath of Bhagya Annachi, who suspects him of betraying him and tries to kill him several times. Prabhakaran also faces trouble from Kalaivani, who is angry with him for joining Guna's gang and breaking her father's trust.
Meanwhile, Uma falls in love with a police officer named Karthik (Ranjith), who is investigating the carrom gambling racket in Royapuram. Karthik tries to convince Prabhakaran to leave the illegal business and start a new life with Kalaivani. He also warns him about Guna's plan to kill him after using him for his own benefit.
Will Prabhakaran realize his mistake and escape from Guna's trap? Will he reunite with Kalaivani and marry her? Will he save his sister from Bhagya Annachi's wrath? Will he help Karthik expose the carrom gambling racket? The rest of the movie answers these questions.
The Review
Sundaattam is a movie that tries to portray the dark side of carrom gambling and its impact on the lives of the people involved in it. The movie has a realistic setting and a gritty tone that suits the theme of the story. The movie also has some thrilling moments and twists that keep the audience engaged.
However, the movie also suffers from some drawbacks that affect its overall impact. The movie has a slow pace and a lengthy runtime that make it drag at times. The movie also has some cliched scenes and dialogues that reduce its originality. The movie also has some logical loopholes and inconsistencies that affect its credibility.
The performances of the actors are decent but not remarkable. Irfan does a good job as Prabhakaran, but he lacks the charisma and intensity required for such a role. Arundhati is pretty as Kalaivani, but she has little scope to showcase her acting skills. Madhu is impressive as Kasi, but he gets overshadowed by Stalin, who steals the show as Guna. Aadukalam Naren is convincing as Bhagya Annachi, but he does not have much screen presence. Sendrayan provides some comic relief as Prabhakaran's friend, but he gets repetitive after a point.
The music and background score of the movie are composed by Britto Michael and Achu Rajamani respectively. The songs are average and do not add much value to the movie. The background score is effective and enhances the mood of the movie.
The cinematography by Balagurunathan is good and captures the essence of Royapuram well. The editing by LVK Dass is crisp and smooth. The direction by Brahma G Dev is decent but not exceptional. He manages to create a realistic atmosphere and narrate an interesting story, but he fails to make it engaging and impactful enough.
The Verdict
Sundaattam is a movie that has an interesting premise and a realistic approach, but it fails to deliver a satisfying experience due to its slow pace, cliched scenes, logical flaws, and mediocre performances. It is not entirely unwatchable, but it is not very memorable either. a27c54c0b2