Production: 24am Studios Cast: Keerthy Suresh, Lal, Napolean, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Simran, Sivakarthikeyan, Soori Direction: Ponram Screenplay:Ponram Story: Ponram Music: D Imman Background score: D Imman Cinematography: Balasubramaniem Dialogues: Ponram
Seemaraja marks third collaboration with director Ponram, and compared to their previous films, it shows some ambition – in terms of scale, visuals and mostly importantly, in turning its star into a mass hero. We get to see Sivakarthikeyan getting a ‘mass’ introduction, where he crashes open the gates, and kicks up a storm while beating the bad guys, speaking punch dialogues dressing up like Rama, supporting farmers, and invoking seemingly modest comparisons with Rajinikanth, Vijay and Ajith. We even get a line telling him that he should next plan his political entry.
The actor plays Seemaraja, the heir of royal family of Singampatti. But the character is pretty much the same as what we have seen him play so far – an aimless youngster whose only activities are building up his image with sidekick Kanakku (Soori, who gets to showcase his six-pack abs) and people and wooing Sundhanthira Selvi (Samantha), a teacher. Selvi belongs to Puliyampatti, a rival village, where Kaathadi Kannan (Lal, typecast) and his wife and partner-in-crime Kaaleeswari (Simran, whose dubbed voice feels odd) hold fort.
Right from the title credits, the makers clearly indicate that Seemaraja has an important backstory, and that is revealed in the second half. A commendable amount of effort is seen and special credits to the VFX team, importantly for executing the war sequences in a convincing manner. Seemaraja, of course, scores well with its comedies in many instances, but it could have been better to deliver that essence completely throughout the film. Ponram’s dialogues touch upon various social issues infused with a subtle humour.
A section of the audience might feel that the heroism is overdone to an extent. Also, Seemaraja falls into the commercial template on many occasions, as we have seen similar scenes from the same SK – Ponram combination already. Due to this, the engagement and the overall impact of the film gets reduced.
Balasubramaniem’s rich and colorful visuals add a good flavour to Seemaraja, helping in setting up of the festive celebratory mood. D Imman’s songs and background score are grand, thereby extending ample support. Due credits to the noteworthy costume designing and the artwork department as their work go hand in hand supplementing the backdrop of the film.
Director Ponram is known for delivering engaging comedy entertainers through his first two films. He has delivered his third film with a difference in spite of the similar rural backdrop of his earlier films.
The grandeur production value, especially in the historical portions involving major VFX works, needs a special mention. Kudos to producer RD Raja to deliver something different from the usual. Seemaraja could have worked a lot better if the screenplay was more interesting, but from a general audience perspective, these things might not be a bigger concern.
