‘Sorgavasal’ movie review: RJ Balaji’s ambitious crime drama pales in impact

In the latest RJ Balaji-starrer sorgawasalAn analogy comparing prison to hell reminded me of a popular quote: “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.”

Debutant director Siddharth Vishwanath’s carefully written and assembled crime drama seeks to be a clinical exploration of the existential, moral and social situations that this quote speaks about. However, as much as the movie reminded me of the quote, it didn’t inspire me to Google the author behind it, or think about any of the wisdom sprinkled throughout the movie. And the feeling of indifference one feels sums up how ineffective one is. sorgawasal Achieves its ambitious objectives.

Siddharth’s long prison saga, which is filled with many characters, begins with Kattabomman (Karunas), the newly appointed Superintendent of Police running the Madras Central Jail, who talks about two fateful decisions that everyone takes in this world. Is: Either you become the emperor of hell, or you kneel like a puppet in heaven. This feeling becomes the moral compass that governs each character. Appropriately titled ‘Sorgvasal’ (‘Heaven’s Gate’), the film is set in a world where hell and heaven exist as one, where corrupt souls either wish to escape hell, or are determined to stay in it. Want to rule with fists, or bend with knees. The gods of heaven, or pretend to be gods themselves. It is a heady mix of a prison actioner, a survival story, a gangster saga and a social drama.

A scene from ‘Sorgavasal’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The story begins in 2000. Ismail, an officer suffering from severe acidity (it seems you need some recognizable character traits to convince an actor like Natty for a cameo), is tasked with the complex investigation of the infamous 1999 Madras Central Jail riot. The work has been assigned. , here a bloodbath follows the death of a ruthless gangster named Sigmani alias Siga (Selvaraghavan). Kattabomman shows Ismail how Siga fell prey to political tricks and made the prison his kingdom with the help of his right hand man Tiger Mani. But thanks to his moral conscience – Seelan (writer Shobasakthi), a Sri Lankan prisoner who believes in virtue, and Kendrick, an African-American prisoner who pushes Siga on the path to the Christian God – Siga’s violent actions stay under control. Are.

Soon, SP Sunil Kumar (Sharf U Dheen, almost unrecognizable), a reckless egomaniac, takes command of the prison, whose fortunes change forever with the entry of a mysterious young man named Parthiban. Parthi (Balaji, in his most serious, confident turn yet) is a lower-middle-class man whose world revolves around his local food shop, his fiancee Revathi (Sanya Ayyappan) and his mother who suffers from elephantiasis . In a terrible twist of fate, Parthi is jailed as an accused in the murder of Shanmugam, an IAS officer whom Siga was assigned the task of rescuing.

Does Parthi clear his name and escape from jail? What does it have to do with the riots? How does Siga counter SP’s cynical attempts to show its place? These are just some of the many questions that remain to be answered.

It is impressive how Siddharth, with the help of writers Ashwin Ravichandran and Tamizh Prabha, tries to give due importance to each character and maintain an even pitch in the drama. There’s no sequence that breaks your immersion in this world, and there’s merit in how confident Siddharth looks in his directorial debut. Each actor looks tiny, and DOP Prince Anderson captures their helpless faces in many tight close-ups. There is a consistency in visual tone, and the production design of the prison comes to life in some scenes.

But despite all this, the film ends up being a lame sprint around the block, mainly because Siddharth struggles to fit everything he wants to say into this time and place, and everything feels rushed. Seems like The script wants to appear and drip-feed from time to time, but the effect is not there. The script doesn’t have any grand moments that remain memorable (again: the fist-fight sequence in which Parthi meets Siga). A good example is how the director wanted to set up Kendrick as Jesus for Sega. They get very little time for it, and so they appropriately wrap it up in just one scene. But then this scene is only…half effective.

What is the hero’s motivation? sorgawasalHe needs to clear himself of the charges and get back with his mother and fiancé. However, the indulgence in world-building and the many interpersonal dynamics has made Parthi a mere reaction tool, a cog in the wheel that moves more due to luck, ego bruises or power-plays. If this is the case for the protagonist, the antagonists are also half as dangerous as they have been established to be, often committing only the most senseless actions.

A scene from ‘Sorgavasal’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

It is commendable how the film tackles the difficulties people face due to gender discrimination with the story of a prisoner named Rangu (Morris). There are strong dialogues and poetic justice to be found, but in such a rushed and rushed film, you worry that Rangu too might go missing. After a point, you become so detached from the movie that you’re more interested in how the parts of this game move and how the director pulls it together rather than caring about these people.

Ultimately, sorgawasal Doesn’t feel like a cohesive screenplay with some rich scenes; You just see the potential of what it could have been with a tighter story and some breathing room for the characters in this claustrophobic prison.

Sorgavasal is currently running in theaters