Sivakumarin Sabadham movie review: Refreshing changes save an age-old narrative

Language: Tamil Independent musician turned actor Hip Hop Aadhi’s first ticket to fame was his 2011 single ‘Clubbula Mabbula’. The rookie video – a mobile recording of two youngsters rapping in a radio station – became a viral hit, even before we knew what that meant. For the uninitiated, ‘Clubbula Mabbula’ is a song that trashed women who consumed alcohol and partied, branding them as harbingers of cultural doom. Ten years later, his latest directorial Sivakumarin Sabadham has a similar instance. Shruthi (Madhuri) is harassed at a club by rogue men, saying the same things ‘Clubbula Mabbula’ did. While a usual Tamil cinema hero would have patronised Shruthi, Sivakumar (Hip Hop Aadhi) speaks of the initial culture shock and the subsequent realisation of his erroneous understanding. “Avano avalo ellam onnu dhana, adhu arivu varappo ungaluku thaana puriyum. (Whether it is a man or a woman, the rules are the same.)” And further consoled the sobbing heroine saying, “Nee correct nu unaku theriyum la. Yaaru enna sonna enna?.” (You know you are right. Why do you care about what other people say?) Sivakumarin Sabadham (SKS), in a way, is a reflection of how Hip Hop Aadhi has evolved as an artist and also as a personality. (Not just here, Aadhi had also apologised for ‘Clubbula Mabbula’ in his earlier interviews) Aadhi’s films – both his acting and directorial projects – tend to feel like pop culture handbooks, filled with references and trends. Sivakumarin Sabadham is no different. The early minutes of SKS features a Sardar who says, “Yaarupa indha Sivakumar, enake avara paakanum pola iruke". Straight from Ramana. There is an almost exact re-creation of the famous ‘romantic look’ scene from Boss Engira Baskaran. Sivakumar’s grandfather Varadarajan (Ilango Kumanan) behaves like a yesteryear Sivaji Ganesan. The list goes on. Aadhi’s films follow the commercial Tamil cinema template to the T. SKS is no exception here as well.

But the minor subversions make a lot of difference. For example, as per the template, there is a song where Sivakumar ‘route-uttufies’ Shruthi. Classic Tamil cinema. Shruthi rejects him for obvious reasons. Again, usual proceedings. But it is pleasantly surprising how Sivakumar takes this rejection. Instead of cursing Shruthi, he acknowledges his immaturity. Later, they fall in love (Classic Tamil Cinema). But when they have to get married, Sivakumar insists that Shruthi does what she wants to before the wedding. “I am your life partner, not your life,” he says. Sure, it is still a man who acknowledges this, and not the woman. But thanks to Tamil cinema’s abysmal standards, it is still fairly refreshing to hear our heroes making sense.

Another pleasant surprise was how SKS questions the male ego. Tamil cinema loves its sabadhams (promises). It loves heroes who uphold these ‘vows’ no matter how impractical they are. SKS takes another sensible, much-needed stance where it admits that these vow games are just fuel for the ego.

Sivakumar knows to take punches and let go of them. He understands that not every battle is worth fighting, and sometimes, it is important to lose a few. Unlike Tamil cinema’s usual heroes who drown in their praises, SKS is more pragmatic. (Even if there’s a fair amount of build-up) Hip Hop Aadhi enjoys a huge fan base among young adults. And he is aware of this as well. This is clear, considering he has fashioned Sivakumar after them. But it only makes such messaging all the more significant. SKS is not a great piece of cinema. It is silly, on several counts. The film runs on humour from Kadhir’s throwaway one-liners. (Adithya Kadhir delivers at many moments.) Character arcs transform at the drop of a hat. There’s not much logic and the narrative isn’t very inventive. It is not even consistently entertaining. In Tamil cinema parlance, SKS is what you call ‘timepass’. But it stands as proof of a creator who is reflecting on criticism, accepting his mistakes and limitations, and trying to do better. Even though the result is not spectacular, I acknowledge and appreciate the honesty and the introspection. And I sincerely hope that it only gets better in the future.