Suriya's 'Singam' is worth your money

Film: Singam; Starring: Manoramma, Anushka, Suriya, Prakash Raj, Vivek; Radha Ravi, Naaser; Direction: Hari; Music: Devi Sri Prasad; Production: BIG Pictures.

Good versus evil and the final victory of the good has been played to us since ages through epics like Ramayan. We still participate in the triumph of good over evil every year during the festival of Dasara, in spite of knowing the story.

A similar tale in this film where our protagonist (performed to the sensibilities of all audience categories by Suriya) faces an erstwhile antagonist (Prakash Raj in a role he has essayed in quite a few blockbusters).

The best portion of the film is the constant pace it keeps until the titles role. A long time ago, there came a thriller called The Day of the Jackal where the antagonist stayed a step ahead of the protagonist all through the film until the end.

A similar plot here (the only difference is that this film is not a conspiracy/detective flick) where the hero and the villain pull fast ones on each other all through the flick until the villain succumbs to the inevitable triumph of the good.

Thankfully, the heroine of the film has a role to play. Anushka plays the woman who inspires the hero to stay when he crumbles under pressure.

The comic relief provided by Vivek is appropriate, thankfully not overdone. The satire on our civil society is evident in his jokes if you wish to see it.

Sri Devi Prasad’s music complements the mood of the film; however it fails to linger on after the film is over. A better music score could have improved the film's chances of a repeat audience. (Suriya’s Ghajini had a few memorable songs which made second-time viewing bearable, but no luck with this one).

Singam is definitely worth your money and your popcorn. The true highlight of the film is the scripting. It ensures the audience enjoys the victory of our hero at the end. In spite of the regular action flick tag, it manages to keep your attention and deliver the goosebumps at regular intervals.

If the stunts in the film were kept to believable levels, this one would have had a better impact. South Indian films are overdoing the strings-aided stunts these days. It’s getting repetitive and boring to watch, if the south Indian filmmakers are listening. This feedback is for all of you.

Singam is definitely the lion among the recent (at least the ones released this year) crop of Tamil films.