Veteran soap star, Venu Aravind’s directorial debut, Sabash Sariyana Potti was billed as a laugh riot that would have the audience rolling in the aisles, but does it deliver? Only to an extent. It is about a battle of wills between a Superstar JR (Jayaram) and his fan turned competitor, Gnana Guru (Sriram Karthik). Anjana Thambiratti, Vaiyapuri, Mayilsamy, and Delhi Ganesh round out the cast. Venu Aravind also appears in an interesting role.

JR is a successful actor who is adored by the fans with grandiose plans to become a politician. He is encouraged to pursue this ambition by his sidekicks. Gnana Guru is a country bumpkin from Vadipatti whose sole ambition is to become a big star like his idol, JR. A chance encounter between the two triggers a chain reaction of whacky events that has them turn against each other and slug it out for ultimate supremacy. Do they resolve their differences eventually or does the struggle continue to the fag end? That is the plot.

The main drawback in Sabash Sariyana Potti is the pace which is rather slow. Venu Aravind takes his time to tell his story and will not be rushed.The sluggish proceedings slow things down considerably for the viewer and the laughs though present are too few and far between. But it must be mentioned that a couple of comic interludes do tickle the funny bone. Venu Aravind tries to strip away the glittery façade that envelops the inhabitants of tinsel town and show the cracks underneath and it is a laudable attempt but he could have done a neater job.

Jayaram as the beloved hero and aspiring politician who has a dual personality, one each for before and behind the camera, turns in a realistic performance and is instrumental in drawing the occasional chuckle, especially with his over-the-top take on Superstars. Sriram Karthik makes an earnest effort to deliver the goods. The role portrayed by Venu Aravind may confuse the narrative but even so he does a neat job. Heroine, Anjana Thambiratti is trapped in one of those roles where you don’t even have to blink to miss the character. The rest of the supporting cast just passes muster.

Music by Thaman is nothing to write home about. But a few tracks are hum-worthy. Cinematography is decent especially in Jayaram’s intro song.

Verdict: A bland dish that could have used a generous helping of spice to make people say Sabash!!