Movie Review
Storyline
Vijaya Prakash (Karthi) is a police inspector haunted by the ghost of his past. His father Sardar (again played by Karthi) is branded a traitor. Since childhood, Vijaya Prakash has been stifled by the label. Meanwhile, activist Sameera (Leila in a cameo) steals an important document related to Sardar and this starts a chain reaction. Who is Sardar? Why was Leyla killed? Is Sardar alive? These questions are answered by PS Mithran in the next two and a half hours.
Director PS Mithra has three films to his credit. One thing Mithra relies on is packaging his film with pre-production results. It also gives the feeling that Mithra spent a lot of time and researched a certain subject extensively before production. While his debut film Irumbu Thirai dealt with cyber crime, his second film Hero deals with the personality of a man. In Sardar, Mithran delves into water theft, which leads to growing anxiety in the country. Leila discovers the important truth about the commercialization of water and does everything in her power to break Sardar out of prison to put an end to it. Because Sardar is the best agent India has ever produced and anything is possible for him.
Sardar is a film that suffers from information overload. But Mithran is not repeating the same mistake he made with his second film, Hero. In Sardar, he selects two important plots - the water theft and the father-son meeting - and concentrates on them. The screenplay keeps you engrossed and hence pays off to a great extent.
The character building for the role of the father is tastefully done and makes everyone want to know who the proud agent is. The heavy conceptual film bombards the audience with information and most importantly lays it bare for people of all ages to understand and comprehend.
Drawbacks
However, Sardar is not a flawless film. The film is very comfortable in many places. But you can't question how he gets things done. The screenplay also lags in the second half, which dilutes the impact it has made up until then. Also Sardar is shown as an aged character suffering from hand tremors. When it comes to fight sequences, it is flawless. But you can not ask how!
Karthi's superb performance as father and son is brilliant. His indifferent performance makes him desirable. Chunky Panday fits the bill as the man behind the water theft. However, his characterization could have been stronger to compete equally with the formidable Karthi.
Cinematography by George C Williams and work by composer QV Prakash Kumar help elevate the script.
Sardar is a solid film with a strong core idea. With a few misses here and there, the film makes for an engaging watch.