Sarath Kumar can't save Nam Nadu

Nam Nadu, Sarath Kumar's first film after he launched his own political party in Tamil Nadu, is about the rise of a young politician whose ethics are sharply in contrast with his father's ambitions.

Nasser, one of the finest character actors in Tamil cinema, plays the father with his usual flair. His performance rises above the level of the film but he seems to be bogged down by a pedestrian script.

The script is a party manifesto for Sarath. But it's a very peculiar one. This manifesto masquerading as a script is devoid of any political ideology. Instead, it extols virtues like dignity, tolerance and generosity as is present in plenty in the hero Muthazhagu (played by Sarath).

When the film begins, we see Muthazhagu, an idealistic youth leader, who doesn't hesitate to take on Aalavandan, a powerful minister in the state (Nasser). The father-son duo whose politics are at polar ends, however, live together. Muthazhagu's mother and younger sister are his only solace. His older sisters are married to civil servants -- one is an IAS officer and the other an IPS officer. Both civil servants are the real brain behind Aalavandan's political designs.

Some of the sequences remind us of political events in the state. For example, the arrest of Aalavandan reminds one of the arrest of chief minister M Karunanidhi a few years ago.

The film is a family entertainer, and steers clear of sex and violence. But somehow, it also guarantees that many of the main characters in the film act incredibly stupid. Or rather, there is an assumption on the part of the filmmaker that audiences are stupid and the film needs to be on their level to evoke a response.

The script is based on a Malayalam hit movie Lion.

Sreekanth Deva's music is ordinary. The background music is borrowed from A R Rahman scores. The dialogue by Ramesh Kanna is condescending and overwritten. Characters often talk more than they need to.

Sarath Kumar was once a big action star. His movies were known for their stunt sequences. But in this film, the stunt sequences by Super Supraiyan are very ordinary.

Director Suresh needs to realise that unless the scripts are original, it takes a miracle to save a movie. And even in a bankable star like Sarath, he finds no miracle.

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