Yet another OTT release this Diwali in Kollywood, of course, I had to spend a little time over the weekend to watch ‘Soorarai Pottru’ as well!
Most Indians have probably heard the story of Captain Gopinath and his dream which led to Air Deccan and the creation of a chapter in the history of Indian Aviation. If you don’t, ‘Soorarai Pottru’ is a fictional representation of the story.
Directed by Sudha Kongara, the film stars a brilliant cast that includes Suriya, Paresh Rawal, Aparna Balamurali, Urvashi, Mohan Babu, Karunas, Krishnakumar, Kaali Venkat, and several other. And not to forget the brilliant crew with Sudha with G.V.Prakash for Music, Niketh Bommireddy on cinematography, Sathish Suriya on editing. The music compliments the storyline perfectly in a very subtle and observant way! The editing is flawless but my favourite was the Cinematography. Scenes like the one where Suriya is the airport begging for money so that he can go see his sick father keep you completely entranced and at the edge of your seat which a whole new appreciation for Suriya’s acting and how this talent is exhibited. Urvashi’s and Aparna’s performance shine threw alongside Suriya’s. Having just watched Urvashi in a contrasty different character in ‘Mookuthi Amman‘, she’s proven yet again the she might be one of the most talented actresses of this generation.
You can see the excellent writing in the way the film comes together with brilliant characters. Even the characters with short roles are effective and to the point and play their roles in the story. As intense as the first half is, the second half slows a little with a little more serious side to things. By making sure to say that this is based on true stories instead of calling it a biopic, Sudha keeps us guessing who each character could be and what could be fiction. I’ve never been a huge fan of biopics or films based on real incidents. They always seemed to lose my interest very soon. This one, however, kept me occupied the entire time looking for the fiction, relating to the stories I had already heard of.
What the film missed a bit was the depth in character for the antagonists. Parsh Rawal’s character for example misses the memo and rather seems like a standard made-up evil character.
Overall, it’s a brilliantly portrayed story that makes you relate to the characters on a different level! If I haven’t made it clear yet, this film is a don’t miss! It came out on Nov 12th and is on Amazon Prime! Go watch now! I’d give the film a 4.5/5!
A Different Take 
Saw the movie. Knowing the true story through people who were closely associated with the person that inspired this movie made the comparison more real. For one the villain was one-dimensional. Also, most of the real story was the challenges faced as a corporate business and not due to caste or bureaucracy. In fact, the government helped out the airline quite a bit. Was also not happy to see a man slap his wife and despite her progressive mindset, she was okay with it once he cooled now. Suriya is best as an action hero and that comes out more than his business acumen or skills as an entrepreneur in the movie I for one thought that the role was beyond Suriya’s abilities as much as I am a huge fan. The only person who did a great job was Aparna Balamurali. There was also the usual over-dramatic acting when the hero comes home after his father’s death and his mother does the usual filmy routine of hysterics that somehow is the only way of showing grief in a movie. None of the nuanced acting here.
Again, the over the top crying and begging of rich people at the airport for the flight fare was unrealistic and unnecessary.
Finally, while I understand the caste angle makes for better revenue, it was unnecessary to portray the real-life Iyengar person as coming from a caste and make the villain is a brahmin. Why can’t two people from the same caste have a difference of opinion? Why propagate stereotypes?
Overall, a great plot but shoddy execution and an inaccurate presentation of the real story. Best say at the beginning of the movie that it is pure fiction and a pure entertainer. That way no one is confused. If one is making a true biopic, make it intelligent, with a depth of character, and as close to reality as possible. Examples: Ray (Jamie Foxx), Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis), Imitation Game (Benedict Cumberbatch). Yes, all English movies. The notable exception in recent times is Mahanati which was a genuine portrayal of the yesteryear actress Savitri.
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Heyy. I love your comments on the film. I agree with most of your point but where both of us might have perceived things a little differently could be in how we looked at the film. While we read online that the film is a biopic, I don’t believe Sudha Kongara called it one. Even in the credits, it was portrayed more as a story inspired by true events. The minute we take that into consideration, the film and plot become a fiction story. Taking that and Suriya’s existing fan base into consideration, the over-dramatic scenes, the OTT crying scene in the airport, and others could almost be taken into stride.
Out of genuine curiosity, while I did read that the story talks about caste, and I might have missed this, but I don’t remember caste being explicitly called out anywhere. The usual privileged and under-privileged yes, the usual good vs evil yes, the usual rich vs poor yes. Were tereany instances in specific that I am missing?
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