Sathuranga Vettai (2014)

English translation: The Gambit Hunt

Director: H. Vinoth

Story: H. Vinoth

Cast: Natraj, Ishaara Nair

Music: Sean Roldan

Time: 149 minutes

Bottom-line: A racy script, with plot twists all over the place

Praised as an Indianised con movie, H. Vinoth’s crime drama, Sathuranga Vettai adds to the list of unconventional Tamil films that released in the 2013-14 period, along with Neram, Soodhu Kavvum etc. The standard of acting in these films is a not perfect, mostly due to the use of an entirely new cast, and the same goes with this film too. However, given this script – with the plot and dialogues – the acting takes the back seat. By the time Gandhi Babu has finished conning you, it will be one hell of an experience.

Gandhi Babu (Natraj) has been a conman all his life. Realising that money is the ultimate thing in the world, he has devoted his life to trickery, heists and scams. He fools a landowner by selling him an ordinary snake, claiming it to be worth crores; he starts a marketing firm promising huge returns, but runs away with the invested money. In the process, he meets Banu (Nair), an innocent village girl looking for a job. Despite knowing Babu has conned everyone, she seems to understand his point of view. Soon, Babu’s victims track him down and beat him up, demanding their money be returned. Babu seems to give in, but he has other tricks up his sleeve.

 

Natraj as Babu (centre) with two of his partners 

Films about con artists have always intrigued me; the ingenuity of the scams they pull off is just too good. Here too, the way Babu’s mind works makes you sit and think how someone could be so clever. At the same time, sometimes you wonder if people can actually be that dumb. Yet, Babu does pull off a lot of surprises: the disguises, plans and the execution. The part I found a bit odd is how his partners let him off twice after he cheats them; knowing what Babu is capable of, why do they still trust him?

 

Nair as Banu

The best part of Babu are his principles: every lie needs some truth to go along with it; only then no can detect that it is a lie. Another aspect that makes Sathuranga Vettai different from Hollywood heist films, say, is that here, the people are being conned; is it not about a gang robbing a rich enemy, or planning an elaborate theft of an artefact. As Babu says, if the people are ignorant to be conned, then it is their fault. Natraj’s acting is superb; not much of emotional content, and half the time he talks like he is reading off a book, but his cunning is what is impressive.

The climax gives us something to think about; it makes us realise what truly matters in life. It doesn’t go with the rest of the film, but it is an apt ending. Till that point, the roller coaster ride of heists, cons and treachery will keep you riveted to your seats. A sure entertainer, don’s miss it.

My Rating: 3.5/5