Coming
from
a
debutant
director,
Tamil
movie
Sundattam
is
undoubtedly
one
of
the
better
films
of
recent
times
with
its
share
of
ups
and
downs.
Thankfully,
it
doesn't
get
swept
away
in
the
tide
of
commercialism
and
even
succeeds
in
producing
a
simple
yet
convincing
thriller
starring
Irfan,
Arundhati,
Stalin,
Madhu
and
Naren.
We
have
had
movies
about
outdoor
games,
but
this
is
most
likely
the
first
time
a
film
about
a
game
of
carrom
has
been
effectively
used
to
weave
a
story
with
twists
and
thrills.
It
is
set
in
the
1990s
of
Chennai,
where
carrom
contests
were
played
for
money.
Prabha,
a
happy-go-lucky
guy,
to
whom
the
world
is
the
game
of
carrom,
earns
the
wrath
of
a
local
gang
headed
by
Guna
after
having
locked
horns
with
his
men.
It
is
later
that
he
comes
to
learn
that
Guna
is
don
Bakkiya's
sidekick.
Meanwhile,
Prabha
falls
head
over
heels
for
his
sister's
best
friend
Kalai.
However,
Kalai's
brother,
an
angry
cop
who
has
been
suspended
for
manhandling
a
criminal,
doesn't
like
the
idea
of
seeing
his
sister
with
Prabha.
Destiny
has
it;
Prabha
beats
Kasi,
a
drug-addict,
hands
down
in
the
game
of
carrom.
The
win
not
only
earns
him
a
reputation,
but
also
wins
him
the
admiration
and
friendship
of
Bakkiya
and
his
gang.
Having
lost
to
a
young
player,
Kasi
yearns
to
kill
Prabha.
Don
Bakkiya
too
has
a
sworn
enemy,
who
wants
him
dead.
How
will
Prabha
save
his
life
from
the
clutches
of
Kasi?
Who
is
Bakkiya's
enemy
and
why
does
he
want
him
dead?
And
most
importantly,
will
Prabha
get
to
live
happily
ever
after
with
Kalai?
This
forms
the
rest
of
the
story.
As
a
viewer,
one
is
quickly
arrested
by
the
racy
screenplay
of
the
film
and
there
are
hardly
any
dull
moments
that
may
likely
push
someone
into
boredom.
Continue
reading
the
movie
review
on
the
slideshow...
Sundattam
Movie
Review
Debutant
director
has
shown
prowess
in
handling
a
subject
that's
hardly
been
put
to
use
in
Tamil
cinema.
Come
to
think
of
it,
it's
a
usual
revenge
story
that
is
dealt
with
a
backdrop
involving
a
game
of
carrom.
Brilliant!
Sundattam
Movie
Review
Since
the
film
is
set
in
the
1990s,
it
was
every
important
to
do
justice
to
the
milieu
of
the
bygone
era.
Surprisingly,
the
film
succeeds
in
capturing
every
fine
detail
with
perfection
and
recreates
it
beautifully
on
screen.
Sundattam
Movie
Review
Cinematographer
Balagurunathan
and
art
director
Mohanamahendran
have
collaboratively
worked
towards
one
common
goal
-
to
ensure
the
film
doesn't
slip
from
the
1990s
mode.
Sundattam
Movie
Review
The
performances
are
not
extraordinary,
but
considering
the
fact
that
most
of
the
actors
have
meagre
or
no
screen
experience,
one
can't
stop
lauding
their
effort.
Irrfan
shines
in
his
title
role
and
breathes
life
into
the
role
of
Prabha,
while
Arundhati
portrays
her
character
with
poise.
Sundattam
Movie
Review
Sundattam
struggles
occasionally
to
convince
the
audience
that
the
game
of
carrom
was
merely
used
as
a
backdrop
to
build
the
narrative.
However,
it
scores
high
with
its
deft
screenplay
that
stays
away
from
clichés.