Sengalam Series Review: Effective performances elevate this predictable tale of power play – cinemaexpress
They are saying loyalty in politics solely serves a private objective. Most likely why any political energy recreation finds itself on the centre of a vicious and never-ending loop. In some methods, political energy is like vitality… it may well neither be created nor destroyed and might solely be transferred from one political chief to a different. The plot of the brand new Zee5 internet sequence, Sengalam (Crimson battlefield), is all about this endless battle of passing the baton.
Director: SR Prabhakaran
Forged: Kalaiyarasan, Vani Bhojan, Sharath Lohitashwa, Shali Nivekas, Prem Kumar, Pooja Vaidyanathan
Streaming on Zee 5
The nine-episode sequence reveals two parallel tracks colliding ultimately by untying the knots and becoming a member of the dots. Every episode is split into two segments. It travels from present-day Virudhanagar the place Rayar (Kalaiyarasan) and his two brothers are in a hideout after committing murders, to the previous the place a household, which holds the legacy of holding the municipality chairman put up for 3 generations faces stiff competitors from a robust political rival. Will the third-generation chairman, Rajamanikam (Pawan), married to Suriyakala (Vani Bhojan) lastly be dethroned?
Rajamanikam’s sudden demise units the ball rolling and brings to the fore Suriyakala’s machinations to rule the panchayat. On this quest, she makes use of the knowledge of her buddy Natchiyar (Shali Nivekas), who’s the queenmaker, and her brother Rayar. With extra deaths, extra revenge, extra twists, and extra politics, Sengalam unfolds as a recreation of chairs, if I could.
The preliminary episodes are focussed on establishing the characters, and the narrative is burdened by exposition that desires to force-feed a barrage of knowledge and make us accustomed to the political historical past and the gamers. Though a number of of the scenes appear a bit staged, Sengalam positive factors momentum after the third episode when Suriyakala strategises her option to the highest.
Those that have noticed Tamil Nadu politics know of the camaraderie and fallout between former CM J Jayalalithaa and her shut aide V Sasikala. In some ways, Sengalam appears to discover the same equation with its principal characters albeit approaching it by the purview of native governance. We additionally see the lengths to which the household, headed by Rajamanikam’s father Sivangyanam (Sharath Lohitashwa), goes to carry on to that put up.
Though the plotlines lead to some predictable pay-offs, it’s burdened much more by some underwhelming staging, particularly with the lacklustre police procedurals, and the onscreen hype concerning the election outcomes does not actually translate off-screen. The shortage of inventiveness within the visible fashion, and a template narrative fashion do not assist the promising premise.
However director SR Prabhakaran, who has already proved his penchant for rural dramas, strikes gold with the mounting of Sengalam too. The fragrances of the Chettinadu swirl round by the dialect, the classic homes, the crooked lanes by the hamlets, and the huge and arid forest ranges.
In a dialogue-heavy sequence, actors Kalaiyarasan, Vani and Shali put up assertive performances that elevate this somewhat acquainted story. There may be an attention-grabbing layer involving Rayar’s estranged spouse Mathi, who would possibly come throughout as only a comedian aid, however has a poignant second the place she displays on how not all girls get to do what they love. Such temporary moments of pathos hold the narrative ticking, and one other such scene was the one involving Rayar and Suriya as they focus on the chasm between them regardless of the unprofessed love discovered within the crevices of their hearts.
There is no such thing as a doubt that politics can’t be with out the affect of sophistication and caste, and Sengalam subtly brings in these angles within the exploration of how harmless people are sometimes caught within the crossfire of devious plots. This determined longing for the all-consuming energy to interrupt out of the shackles, and attain the higher echelons, is greatest explored by the convincing Naachi, who has no qualms admitting politics is like fishing in murky waters. In truth, it’s her pertinent questions on politics that type the bottom of Sengalam. “Why ought to the Rajamatha and Rajaguru of politics at all times be behind the scenes? Why ought to individuals who cannot assume within the frontline whereas clever ones stay behind…?”
Even when the hype shouldn’t be as large because the Kattappa Baahubali cliffhanger, Sengalam does have a cogent one within the type of ‘Who killed Rajamanikam?’ There’s a trace of a sequel, which guarantees to reply many extra questions, together with the technique of the brand new chairperson, and the plight of Rayar and his brothers. With the gamers and the plot in place, all that’s required of the sequel is to have extra focus and finesse. Will that occur? That’s yet one more query that the sequel will hopefully reply.
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