Acts of stealing seem to fascinate screenwriter Sajeev Pazhoor, who had woven a gripping tale around a gold chain theft in Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum . At the heart of Sathyam Paranja Vishwasikkuvo , too is a stealing, which again becomes a useful peg to talk about other issues.
The movie moves along two parallel tracks – one focussing on a group of construction workers who have a serious drinking problem and another on horse trading between two fronts in the quest for power at the local panchayat. Sunil (Biju Menon), a construction worker, neglects the affairs at home, as he spends much of the time after work, drinking with his friends.
His marriage with Geetha (Samvritha Sunil) is not an unhappy one, but his drinking and the resultant indebtedness are slowly driving it towards the rocks. Sunil and his friends weave hopes of a better tomorrow when they get their hands on a ‘fortune’.
Director G. Prajith is having his second outing, after a successful debut with Oru Vadakkan Selfie . The way the screenwriter and the director come together is interesting, in that both of them have brought about changes in the other’s style of work, with Pazhoor injecting some methodical, layered storytelling and Prajith bringing in an element of lightness and humour.
The movie begins on two tracks, but concentrates for much of its time on the one involving the construction workers. One wished that the political tug of war at the panchayat, reminiscent of contemporary happenings in some States, was also fleshed out. There are points where the script loses vitality, but in the end, the movie does not suffer much.
Humour is not loud, nor crass, but something which happens in the flow of things in the village. Even the two scheming characters who take much pleasure from the misery of others get a humorous touch. Some political commentary is also made through innocuously dropped lines, like the one on Hindi in the epilogue.
Samvritha Sunil, in her comeback, gets some scope for performance, so does Biju Menon, for whom the role is almost a cakewalk. Although there is an attempt to deliver a message in the end, it does not jut out, nor is it preached. Sathyam Paranja Vishwasikkuvo is a believable tale that hits home.
S.R. Praveen
