August 16 1947 review: Gautham Karthik's period drama is ambitious, but ends up as a lukewarm fare

2.5/5

Story: The inhabitants of Sengadu village in the pre-independence era are leading troublesome lives, thanks to the inhuman behaviour of a cruel British officer. His son, an unapologetic womanizer, poses more threat to the people. After India becomes an independent nation, the father-son duo hides the news from the villagers and plans to rule them for a few more days. How long can the poor people tolerate their barbaric acts?

Review: Films that depicted intriguing stories of people in the pre-independence era are nothing new to Kollywood. The promo videos of NS Ponkumar's August 16 1947 promised a unique plot which offered ample scope for a riveting drama. A remote village in Tamil Nadu, Sengadu, where people have almost zero access to happenings in other villages.

This naïve nature of the inhabitants is utilized by a cruel British officer named Robert (Richard Ashton). He doesn't think twice in finishing off those who raise their voices against him. He finds joy in making people, irrespective of their gender and age, work for around 16 hours a day. 

As if this isn't enough, his son Justin (Jason Shah), a womanizer, shows no mercy in satiating his carnal desires. Paraman (Gautham Karthik), who is loyal to the father-son duo, turns against them in an unexpected scenario. 

The furious Robert hides the British government's decision to set India free from the villagers, making their lives even more miserable. Can Paraman alone stand up against the mighty, cold-blooded father-son duo's brutal acts?

As mentioned above, the film handles an interesting theme which hasn't been explored before. This novel factor evokes curiousity among the audience in the beginning and the filmmaker wastes no time in establishing the plot and characters. The antagonists, who are crucial to the flow of events, are impressive.

The insensitive treatment meted out to the innocent villagers is portrayed convincingly and it helps the narration in the first half of the movie. Richard and Jason come up with noteworthy performances. Gautham's character is enjoyable and his dedication is evident in emotional scenes. However, his heroic acts required more conviction.

Pugazh and Madhusudhan Rao impress in their respective characters. The former is in a situation where he isn't able to reveal the exciting news of the country having won the independence, while the latter is torn between staying loyal to the British officer and saving his daughter's life. 

Debutant Revathi puts up a neat performance as a teenage girl who is unaware of the dangers lurking around her. 

What lets the ambitious subject down is the ineffective screenplay which lacks wow moments and a convincing set-up. Some of the ideas are extraordinary on paper, but the execution falters in several scenes, leaving the audience disappointed. Though predictable, the climax sequence offers a roller-coaster ride, but makers miss the opportunity.

All the songs come across as speed-breakers and add no value to the narration or flow of events. The romantic track offers nothing new and dilutes the bigger conflict. The essence of patriotism which should have been the backbone of the story, too, is largely missing. What could have been an ambitious and rollicking ride ends up as a lukewarm outing, thanks to the unappealing approach towards the screenplay.

Verdict: August 16 1947 is a classic example of good ideas on paper not transforming to great sequences on screen. Despite a compelling plot, a few talented artists, interesting conflicts and menacing antagonists, the movie ends up as a partly engaging fare.