SHYAM SINGHA ROY (2021)
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| Critic No. 261 |
Director: Rahul Sankrityan
Written by: Rahul Sankrityan (screenplay), Janga Satyadev (story)
Produced by: Niharika Entertainment
Casts: Nani, Sai Pallavi, Madonna Sebsatian, Krithi Shetty, Rahul Ravindran
Music: Mickey J. Meyer
Language: Telugu
Genre: Drama / Romance
SYNOPSIS:
A budding filmmaker, Vasudev (Nani) accused of plagiarizing his movie's story, dives deep into his past and discovers a transcendental connection to the source material.
REVIEW:
Reincarnation stories are not particularly new in Indian cinema but have always been a concept that has been very well executed and received by the audience. The latest successful films I could remember are Om Shanti Om (2008), Magadheera (2009), and Anegan (2015) which landed as a blockbuster by their fine storytelling. Director Rahul Sankrityan who has already created a niche of his own in telling stories that are a mix of science, fiction and fantasy through his debut film Taxiwaala (2018) continues his winning streak in Shyam Singha Roy by delivering another compelling story.
The film kicks off with Vasu (Nani) a young filmmaker, who in lieu of making a short film stalks Keerthy (Krithi Shetty) whom he chances upon at a friend’s (Abhinav Gomatam) café. She’s a psychology student and knows nothing about acting but he wants to cast her as a lead at any cost. After making a good pilot short film with Keeerthy, he lands an opportunity to direct a feature film which becomes an instant hit upon release as well. When Bollywood producers hold a press meet to hire Vasu to make a Hindi remake of his debut feature film, he finds himself accused of plagiarism with a psychologist (Leela Samson) and Keerthy’s cousin, a lawyer called Padmavati (Madonna Sebastian) brought in to save the day.
As the psychologist digs deeper within Vasu about his past life, a flashback opens about the writer, Shyam Singha Roy (also Nani) who was a social reformer in 1960s-70s West Bengal. What is the connection between Vasu and Shyam? What was the encounter that Shyam had during his phase of life? The film sets off to deliver a compelling love story in the second half which ends off with a feel-good, emotional climax.
The first half of the film takes its time setting up the character of Vasu, with Shyam Singha Roy only coming by in flashes. I found that the initial setup was clumsy and though Krithi Shetty tries her best, eventually has to take a back seat in terms of involvement in the main plot. The entire short film casting process does not look so convincing. I can never buy that Vasu is an ardent filmmaker the moment he contradicts his own principle. At one scene he says that he will not choose a cast who is only good-looking but someone who is suitable. He chooses Keethy only because she looks good even if she doesn’t know acting at all in the very next scene. Therefore, I felt that the first half could have been chopped by at least 20-30 mins.
Production designer Avinash Kolla and cinematographer Sanu John Varghese’s work truly shines during the flashback portions. They really transport you to West Bengal with their nuanced details. Rahul lets this segment play out like an art film, giving Sai Pallavi a chance to spread her wings and Nani to shoulder a character with heft. Their poetically portrayed love story is a delight, soulfully supported by Mickey J Meyer’s music. I loved the scenes where Shyam is cooking a meal or heeding to Mythreyi’s plea to do something for other women in the devadasi system. Shyam referencing accomplished women in arts who rose from the shadow of the system and thereby encouraging Mythreyi also shows their sweet relationship dynamics.
I loved the fact that Rahul shed a strong light on the concept of devadasi which is not much known to people nowadays. Even today, this concept is still a life and the portions about their struggle was impactfully shown especially when Sai Pallavi is painfully humiliated by the ‘Godman’. While the film does keep you invested in its characters and story for the most part, Rahul sicks to a flow that doesn’t really surprise you. You can predict how it all plays out as the film progresses but that’s not really a bad thing because the lead pair and strong technical finesse ensure that you are fully engrossed. The only major problem I had was the climax which felt a little rushed with a slightly melodramatic note. If only the present-day setup was trimmed a little, act 3 could have been paced better.
Nani portrays Shyam with an innate sense of pride and effectively differentiates him from the cool dude Vasu. After Jersey, Nani gets another chance to take up a well-fleshed-out character that requires him to go the extra mile. And as always, Sai Pallavi never stops to surprise us in the roles she does. She plays Mythreyi here with empathy, depicting the vulnerability as well as the desire to fly away from her fate. The ‘Pranavalaya’ song that capitalizes on her dancing skills is in sync with the story and had been remarkably executed as a whole.
VERDICT:
‘Shyam Singha Roy’ is a predictable yet an earnest romantic fantasy drama that boasts with arresting visuals, soulful music, and exhilarating performances by the lead pair - Nani and Sai Pallavi.
CELLULOID METER- 3.5/5:
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