Vinodhaya Sitham movie review: Samuthirakani and Thambi Ramaiah engage the audience in this light-hearted family drama

3/5

Story: A self-obsessed man in his 50s, who is also a control freak, passes away in an accident. But he gets 90 days extended to his life to rectify some of the mistakes he has made. How is he going to spend the three months' time?

Review: Samuthirakani's films, without an iota of doubt, are well-intentioned; some of the ideas and messages he puts forth in his movies are quite progressive. However, what cannot be overlooked is the preachy nature with which he approaches his stories and characters. 

Thankfully, in Vinodhaya Sitham, he has adopted a subdued approach which has resulted in an overall difference in the output, when compared to his previous directorial projects. The film released without much hype and hoopla; its somewhat okayish trailer which was out recently had certain ambiguity, which made us refrain from pinning high expectations on it. 

Its story revolves around Parasuram (Thambi Ramaiah), a workaholic and megalomaniac in his 50s, whose life revolves around his family, which consists of wife, a son and two daughters. He goes to Coimbatore for an official trip and promises his family that he will be back the same day to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary the next day. 

However, situation forces him to travel by road to come back to Chennai. He meets with a terrible accident on the way and passes away despite him brought to hospital. But a character, which refers to himself as Time (Samuthirakani), akin to God, extends three months' time to Parasuram and allows him to live his life the way he wants.   

He makes a list of things he has to do in the stipulated time - he identifies that his career growth, a better life for son and marriage of two daughters are important factors he has to ensure in the allotted time. But little did he know that his children had other plans, which his wife was also aware of. 

Parasuram is accompanied by Time everywhere; in fact, he introduces the latter to his family members and to a colleague, too, without divulging details about their encounter. How is he going to cope up with the fact that he has only three months to rectify his life?   

Like his previous films, Samuthirakani comes up with a few advices this time, too, but the manner in which he has handled them is enjoyable. The fantasy angle he has attached to the story and philosophies of life are engaging to a good extent. The black humour in a few scenes are effective, thanks to Thambi Ramaiah's performance. 

He goes overboard with his antics in a few sequences, though. Sriranjini, Sanchita Shetty, Deepak and Jayaprakash are adequate in their roles. It is good to see Samuthirakani emoting in a subtle manner even in scenes which feature him guiding Thambi's character. Munishkanth's expressions, though repetitive, are engaging enough. With a run time of less than 100 minutes, a small idea which is developed with a tinge of humour and though-provoking scenes deserve appreciation. 

On the downside, the making doesn't look impressive. The way a few scenes are conceived gives us a feel that the makers initially wanted the story to be made as a tele serial. Some of the family emotions and melodrama remind us of soap operas. The central theme of the film revolves around Thambi and Samuthirakani, and other characters are slightly underwritten because of which we are not able to relate to them. The screenplay lacks conflict after a point which affects the overall flow of the movie.  

Verdict: What stands out in the movie is its interesting take on life which has been dealt with in an entertaining manner. But a little more attention to detailing of characters and better making could have done wonders. Nevertheless, the film is a harmless time-pass flick for those who love light-hearted family drama.    

Vinodhaya Sitham is streaming on Zee5.