Saudi Vellakka Movie Review: Tharun Moorthy's Film on the Flawed Legal System is Heartbreakingly Good! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Saudi Vellakka Movie Review: At one point of watching Saudi Vellakka near the first half, I thought I was heading for disappointment. Despite Tharun Moorthy's terrific handling of how a simple morning tiff between neighbours gets escalated into something catastrophic thanks to a vellakka (baby coconut), I felt there was something very gimmicky about the whole setup. I am so glad I was wrong there, as the director of the fantastic Operation Java lured me into a deceptive trap of lowering my expectations and in the end, turning Saudi Vellakka into an experience that felt so heartbreaking and wonderfully optimistic about humanity, while being a good satire on the flaws of our legal system. Operation Java Movie Review: Yet Another Dope Thriller From Malayalam Cinema That Deserves Your Attention.

In 2019, Abhilash (Lukman Avaran), presently working in Bengaluru, is sent summons from court to attend a hearing, failing which he would be arrested since he and his family has been ignoring the summons for years. The said case happened when he was a mere kid, and it all began when a kids' match got him on the wrong side of a short-tempered old Muslim woman Ayesha Rawther (Devi Varma, voiced very familiarly by Pauly Valsan); what happens next is nothing short of an avoidable legal chaos that turns one family's life into a complete mess.

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The first half is the whole setup of the vellakka case introducing us to all the major players before settling up on one as the focal point. When the movie begins, I thought this would be Abhilash's story, but no, instead, the movie switches protagonists and used the flashbacks to expand upon the story, and that in turn, makes Saudi Vellakka into one of the most heart-rending and also one of the heartwarming narratives I have seen in recent times. Kaapa Movie Review: Prithviraj Sukumaran-Asif Ali's Gangster Drama is Engaging in Parts When Not Obsessed With One-Man-Show Business!

One big advantage for the film is how director uses the stoic expressions of actress Devi Varma to convey helplessness at first, repentance, and later a dignified acceptance of what her situation is and a grim determination to fight alone. While her intro goes off with a verbal match first with her neighbour and then her daughter-in-law Naseema (an effective Dhanya Ananya), Ayisha's silences become more and more prolonged once her legal ordeal starts and those truly kill you with their effectual emotionality.

As her meek and hapless son Sathaar, Sujith Shanker stunned me with a very transformative performance; just see the scene where he watches his friend leave for Gulf while his hand involuntarily shakes out of trepidation and guilt. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised by this actor's range, especially after seeing his transgender act in Moothon. Not just Shanker, even other actors like Lukman (so good in the third act), a consistently great Bibu Pappu, Gokulan (underrated), Ramya Suresh (fantastic), et al. Vincy Aloshious in a two-scene cameo quite steals the show near the third act.

Like with Operation Java addressing unemployment among youth, Saudi Vellakka takes on the exasperating workings of the legal system in closing a legal case, and the toll it takes on both the sides. The setup also allows the movie to seep in dry humour into the proceedings. However, more than the satire (which occasionally creates tonal issues for the film), it is the moments where Saudi Vellakka celebrates human kindness and amity is where the film wins. Be it in the subtle scene of a rickshaw driver driving away without his fare after driving Sathaar the whole night or in the bonding of two 'opposition' characters in the final act, Saudi Vellakka is fantastic when it asks us to be optimistic for humanity in these times. That it does so without headlining any of the characters' religion deserves a special mention.

Final Thoughts

Watch Saudi Vellakka, now streaming on SonyLIV, if you are looking for a movie that gives you hope even if it tries to address a frustrating aspect of our society. Tharun Moorthy's film is heart-racking, yet heart-warming, seeks optimism in pessimism and ultimately, a nicely-told drama with some really natural performances.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 09, 2023 05:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).