K. Chandru, the director of Naveena Saraswathi Sabatham , appears to be a fan of the irreverent fake-mythological plays staged by S. Ve. Shekher and ‘Crazy’ Mohan in the 1980s. He also appears to be a fan of the Hangover films. And Thiruvilaiyaadal . And Cast Away . And Saraswathi Sabatham . And the ugly message movie. And the modern-day Tamil-film comedy, with its mandatory references to a “quarter.” And so we have this mash-up, which opens in Kailasam, with Murugan playing games on his iPad and Ganesha on a treadmill. Are you laughing yet? We keep cutting back and forth between the goings-on in this celestial abode and those on earth, with a sex doctor (Jai) and his friends setting out to Bangkok for a bachelor party. There’s a good USP in Jai’s profession, but our censors won’t allow raunch — so we’re left with a parade of limp jokes. Very occasionally, a line or a sight gag makes you smile, like the one with the roadside idli seller with a signboard that announces “pizza” and “burger.” Otherwise, it’s all very exhausting.
Naveena Saraswathi Sabatham
Genre: Comedy
Director: K. Chandru
Cast: Jai, Niveda Thomas, Sathyan
Storyline: Lord Shiva crashes a bachelor party in Bangkok.
Bottomline: A parade of limp jokes.
