Seema Raja review: Sivakarthikeyan fails to impress with a formulaic story and cliched script

Sivakarthikeyan, the young star in the Tamil Film industry seems so inspired with Rajinikanth's career, and he is literally trying to replicate the success formula which Rajinikanth movies adopted in the late 1980s and 1990s. 'Seema Raja', the new movie directed by Ponram which features Sivakarthikeyan in the lead role too follows the same path, and the result is a mediocre movie with nothing new to offer. With a formulaic story from the 1990s, the director has tried to woo the audiences, but this attempt failed very miserably, as filmgoers in this era love to see something new and fresh.

The age-old hero with a loving heart

The basic storyline of the movie is very cliched, and we have seen similar stories n numbers of times in the past. Seema Raja played by Sivakarthikeyan in this movie is a man with a golden heart, and he used to do great things in his society whenever he gets a chance. Interestingly, Seema Raja rides a chariot, the same vehicle which Rajinikanth used in 'Muthu', the remake of Malayalam blockbuster Thenmavin Kombathu.

He falls in love with a physical education teacher (Samantha Ruth Prabhu) and in the meantime, there is a comedian (Soori) who tries hard to evoke laugh among the audiences. However, all the efforts to tickle the spine of the audiences go in vain, and Soori's mere presence gives unnecessary lag to the proceedings.

The fine moments of the movie came in the flashback sequences. The film travels to 1400s where Seema Raja's ancestors ruled the society, and only in these scenes, the director showed signs of his excellence in filmmaking.

Ponram should reinvent himself

Ponram made his grand debut in Kollywood as an independent director with the movie 'Varuthapedatha Valibar Sangam' which featured Sivakarthikeyan in the lead role. Later, he made 'Rajini Murugan', another light-hearted comedy which too emerged as a success at the box-office. When it comes to 'Seema Raja', Ponram has adopted the same tried and tested formula, and as a result, audiences who wished to see something different became disappointed to the core.

Ponram is a brilliant filmmaker, but instead of using the same cliched formulas to attract the audiences, he should try something different which will help him to make a strong mark in the Tamil Film industry.

In 'Seema Raja', the director did justice to his mettle only in the flash back scenes. The flashback scenes were well shot, and for this effort, Ponram and cinematographer Balasubramaniem deserve a big round of applause.

Sivakarthikeyan: The trump card

Sivakarthikeyan has a decent fan following in Tamil Nadu due to his boy next door image among families. Director Ponram has tried to exploit this factor, and he has partially succeeded in his attempts.

But if Sivakarthikeyan wants to establish himself as a powerful actor than a mere Tamil movie hero, he should be very choosy while selecting scripts. Repetitive acts of the same good innocent young man will make audiences feel bored, and in the long run, it will not benefit the actor in any manner.

Final Verdict

Seema Raja is a movie which is meant for hardcore Sivakarthikeyan fans who love to see the age old 1990s story. If you are looking for something raw and fresh, then stay miles away from this drama.