Film: Sathya
Director: Pradeep Krishnamurthy
Cast: Sibiraj, Remya Nambeesan, Varalaxmi Sarath Kumar, Anandraj and Sathish
Rating: 3/5
The last time a Sibiraj film got me really excited was when I saw the promos of Naaigal Jaakirathai, a buddy cop thriller with a dog in a titular role. I felt the same kind of excitement when I saw the promos of Sathya, more so because it’s the remake of last year’s critically-acclaimed Telugu indie hit Kshanam, and it looked as promising as the original.
This is not the first time Sibi, in his over a decade-long career, has starred in a remake but it’s definitely the first time he gets it right and how. Sathya is a fitting, faithful remake of Kshanam, and it gets all the elements that worked in the original’s favour right. By not making major changes, which should not be seen as an issue, Sathya will easily go down as one of the best works in Sibi’s career and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Sathya is about the mysterious disappearance of a young girl and the struggle of her hapless mother to find her daughter. When all hope is lost, she seeks the help of her former boyfriend because he promised her that he’d be there when she needs him. The search for the missing girl and the events that follow forms the crux of Sathya, a suspense drama powered by smart writing and terrific all-round performances by the supporting cast.
If Anasuya Bharadwaj took audiences by surprise in the original, the perfect icing on the cake in Sathya is Varalaxmi Sarath Kumar, who is a revelation in a role that’s very important from the story’s perspective. The big climactic twist in the original was packed with the shock factor which worked big time and it leaves a similar impact in the remake, thanks to the makers for not spoiling it in the process of taking ownership.
Sibi plays his part aptly and he’s well backed by Sathish and Anandraj, who gets some of the best one-liners, which lighten the mood at regular intervals in an otherwise suspense-driven, serious narrative. Remya Nambeesan, though good, doesn’t quite bring the vulnerability to the character that was brought by Adah Sharma in the original. Her performance might still appeal to those who might have missed Kshanam.
Sathya, more or less, succeeds in what Kshanam did with the audience. It does you take you by surprise and the impact can be felt strongly if you’ve not seen the original.
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