SAIVAM MOVIE REVIEW

Director Vijay, after two big 'star vehicles', has returned back to what he is best at with his pet project Saivam – a movie on family and bonding. The title Saivam, which means Vegetarianism, is the central theme of the movie. Even the title font has the Green Vegetarian mark found on packed vegetarian products.

Saivam in its focus has a grandfather, Kathiresan (played to perfection by Nasser), whose three sons and a daughter, along with their family, visit him for a festival in their hometown. The movie is about the events, majorly contributed by Kathiresan’s grand-daughter Tamizh (Deivathirumagal fame Sara), and her pet Rooster - Papa, that make them forego their non-vegetarian lifestyle and take up vegetarianism.

Vijay has an eye to capture emotions at their purest form – be it the chemistry between the cousins, the bond between the grandfather and granddaughter, the rivalry among siblings, or the love underlying the rivalry. In one scene, the brothers Senthil (Luthfudeen Basha) and Karthik (Rahil) fight it out to take ownership of a room in their grandfather’s house, while in another, when Senthil is caught in a problem and left aloof, Karthik is the one who pacifies Senthil with his understanding pats. Such gentle moments make up Kathiresan’s family, and Vijay’s Saivam.

Nasser, as Kathiresan, plays his role with finesse. He, with his tonsured head, is the pivot on which the entire family runs.

Sara, as the goodhearted Tamizh, is instantly likeable. Vijay makes sure that the script is packed with scenes that will make the audience root for her, and she executes them to perfection.

Another character that stands out is the small boy who wants to be called Shravan (Ray Paul), but is always called Saravanan. His failed attempts to gel with the nativity of his grandfather’s contribute to the humor department.

A Vijay regular, George (the English teacher of Madrasapattinam) plays the role of the servant in the movie. His expressions are topnotch. And, Malathi who plays George’s wife, Kala is a talent to watch out for.

Nirav Shah’s camera captures Karaikudi in all its architectural flair. The streets, when the family goes in search of the missing rooster, reflect the different 'chettinadu' style exteriors. G.V.Prakash's background score for this segment stands out. And, the interiors are filled with the elegance innate to Karaikudi. In short, Nirav Shah has made sure that Saivam is a visual treat. Among the songs, the much noted 'Azhagu' number has been filmed well.

The end credits say that Vijay adopted vegetarianism following one such event, based on which Saivam is made. However, the problem with Saivam is that the event depicted isn’t a strong enough reason for the audience to follow suit. And the movie's running time of just around 2 hours is a plus on paper, but it still feels a tad longer.