Jayaram's latest Malayalam movie Sathya, helmed by late director Diphan, hit the theatres in Kerala on Thursday, April 20. However, similar to the fate of previous Jayaram movies, the action thriller has also opened to negative response.
Watch Sathya movie teaser
Most of the critics have rated the movie 1.5 as it is said to be having the outdated formulas along with Diphan's amateurish direction and poor scripting by AK Saajan. Sathya (Jayaram) is an expert in playing cards, and the movie is shows his road trip for a purpose with Rosy (Roma), who works in a bar.
Did Sathya movie finally break Jayaram's jinx?
A big NO
Here is a request to Jayaram! We still like you for your performances in hit movies like Summer In Bethlehem, Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal, Melepparambil Aanveedu, Mazhavil Kavadi, CID Unnikrishnan BA BEd, Maalootty, Aayushkalam Kottaaram Veettile Apputtan, Sandesham, Aniyan Bhava Chettan Bhava, Yathrakarude Sradhak, among many others. Even if it is difficult for you to bring back those good old days, try atleast to pick up good scripts rather than just acting for the sake of keeping yourself engaged. Else we will be bored soon!
What didn't work for Sathya?
"Two things are the most annoying factors in this film. One is its outdated treatment and the other is its poor technical support. The movie uses that tried-and-tested mass-action formula over and over. If you look at the entire story, our hero is in a real hurry to save a life, but he has all the time in the world to do slow motion walks, say attitude dialogues and many other things that are just there to make the hero look like a larger-than-life character," wrote Lensmenreviews.
Comment on performances
"The scenes in which Jayaram tries to be 'mass cool' makes you feel sorry for the actor – there is hardly any conviction, style or spirit while he does the scene and you wonder whether he himself believed he could do justice to the sequence," reported the Times of India.
"Parvathy Nambiar may have overdone that song, but in the rest of the film she is kind of okay. Roma wasn't that great as Rosy. I don't know the name of the guy who did the role of the villain, but his performance was undeniably pathetic. Aju Varghes is there in a completely insignificant one-minute scene so that they can use him in the poster. Saju Navodaya is that mandatory comedian," according to Lensmenreviews.
Direction and scripting
"Diphan has made an impression with his first film Puthiyamukham. Action is his strong and safe zone. But when it comes to Sathya he is unable to create a fresh feel to the treatment. The predictable and over the top content written by A K Saajan would have only worked if the things happening on screen looked sensible and entertaining. The dialogues are too heavy at times and sound insensitive to the occasion," said Lensmenreviews.
"The direction also is very amateur and direction failures can be clearly seen in the second half when the hero, the villain and the police travel side by side without making any move on each other. Logic also takes a strong hit when the antagonists successfully pre-calculate every location of the 'people on the run', in spite of all the uncertainties regarding the path they might choose. The only explanation for the turn of events in the screenplay is that the makers wanted it to be like that," wrote Behindwoods.
Final verdict of critics
Lensmenreviews: Sathya from Diphan is a movie that failed to adapt to the changes in treatment. It also fails in having a content that will excite you for its uniqueness or approach. The movie is just under 2 hours in terms of run time, but still it feels much more than that. Rating: 1.5/5
Times of India: The dance numbers are badly lip-synced; the make-up during song sequences quite horrendous and worst of all, the film is agonisingly pretentious, overall. It would be better to steer clear of this film. Rating 1.5
Behindwoods: Jayaram in a stylish avatar does not live up to his previous standard performances. The background score and music by Gopi Sunder is another average thing from the movie. Cinematography by Bharani K Dharan is the only element in the movie which is not below average. Rating: 1.5
