It is a sign of a positive market when debutante directors are bold enough to move away from the formulaic approach to films to introduce fresh elements to commercial entertainers. C.S. Karthikeyan who worked as an assistant writer and assistant director in Viswaroopam 1 and 2, makes a remarkable debut in Saba Nayagan which has Ashok Selvan in the lead role, supported by Karthika Muralitharan, Mega Akash, Chandini Chaudhry, Michael Thangadurai, Arun Kumar and the late Mayilsaamy.
Arrested for public drunkenness, Aravind – known to everyone as Saba – makes a desperate attempt to be set free. After the police free a youngster for having had a bad experience in love, Aravind decides to tell his stories of love, apparently with the aim of being released. The rest of the film traces his hilarious misadventures with love, from his school days to present – with a neat and clever twist at the end.
Ashok Selvan’s comedic timing is at genius level because he combines measured dialogue delivery with powerful pauses and even more powerful facial expressions and body language. It is this total performance that makes his screen character so easy to identify with. Arun Kumar and Jaiseelan, who play Aravind’s closest friends, are beyond brilliant in their respective portrayals.
Karthika Muralitharan as Esha combines good looks with a natural charm in her acting. Mega Akash is impressive but Chandini Chaudhry is not quite convincing in her portrayal of Riya. Michael Thangadurai, Udumalai Ravi and the late Mayilsamy – playing the roles of police officers – all deliver delightful performances.
At no stage does Saba Nayagan make any pretence of being a serious film. The humour, unforced and organic, comes frequently into a wit-laden script. The characters are well-etched out and very credible. The pace could have been better for greater impact. The twist is clever and plausible.
The film has three cinematographers in Balasubramaniam, Dinesh Purushothaman and Prabhu Raaghav, so it is quite remarkable that none of them attempt anything new, except in the song sequences.
Leon James does an excellent job of the songs and background score, with the current Sigaram favourites – Baby Ma and Sikkikitaa – being key drivers in the film’s appeal.
Although not a perfect screenplay, C.S. Karthikeyan shows great potential because of his willingness to go beyond the mould of commercial cinema.Saba Nagayan scores 8 points out of 10.