Sevarkkodi is the debut of R.Subramanian as director. He had earlier been an assistant of Radha Mohan and also handled the dialogues for Abhiyum Naanum. So, when such a person makes his debut, we expect a product of quality.

Sevarkkodi is the story of one big misunderstanding playing havoc in the lives of a few people. It tells us subtly that whatever we see should not be taken at face value and emphasises on the importance of talking things out rather than assuming them. Sevarkkodi travels through the lives of two men who have the usual problems and difficulties of their own. Arun Balaji (swimming champion making his acting debut) and Pavan play the two central characters. It so happens that destiny seems to open a door for Pavan to ensure a better life for himself. He is very happy that his struggles might be eased a bit. But, fate apparently has a different plan.

If you look at it from a ‘story’ perspective, the yarn is pretty small and has to be stretched to make a full length feature film. It is not all that bad a yarn to start with. But, it is the stretching that makes it look thin. The screenplay meanders in the intervals between the scenes that take the story ahead. You tend to lose interest in those portions where the wheels just seem to be spinning without going anywhere in particular. But, the scenes which depict the major twists in the story are pretty well shot; especially those involving Pavan. The romance between Arun Balaji and Bhama too is of an agreeable level. But, the movie could have done with a couple of songs being better placed within the script. The length of the fight sequences too makes you yawn and flinch in your seats while the accident scene involving Arun Balaji and his mom is well executed. This is one of the rare movies where you feel that a well written comedy track might have helped making it more watchable. The climax however manages to elevate the overall feel you have while leaving the theatre.

The lead protagonist might be Arun Balaji, but the show stealer is definitely Pavan; he is maturing as a performer. He carries the movie pretty well on his shoulders and has worked well in the fights. Arun Balaji’s debut doesn’t give us too promising a picture, but it might be too early to tell. There definitely seems to be a trend of sports champions making acting debuts in the recent weeks; remember Dilip Roger (the biking champion) who made his debut with Udumban a few weeks back? Bhama, making her debut in Tamil after a few years in Malayalam, does not get much to do and we cannot judge her abilities with this. The others in the cast have done a fair enough job.

Technically, you can see that the movie has been made under certain limitations. All departments have worked pretty well under these constraints. Music by Sathya sounds good, but could have been used better in the movie.

Sevarkkodi is a fairly acceptable product that has its own inherent limitations. No point complaining about the production values here. But, the movie could have definitely done with a script that engaged constantly instead of sporadically. Also, a more convincing performance by the male lead could have made things much more interesting. An interesting central plot and a committed performance by Pavan elevate the movie.

Verdict: Middling mix of misunderstandings and emotions