Yennanga Sir Unga Sattam streaming on SonyLIV is a 2021 drama both political and religious in its making. The film is directed by Prabhu Jeyaram and produced by Passion Studios. This Tamil drama seems to be uncannily based on the recent decision by the Tamil Nadu government to appoint priests of all castes to the temples. Prabhu Jeyaram who makes his debut with this film doesn’t hold back and with humour and sternness asks the question of the fairness of the existence of caste and reservations. The film is a little more than two hours and stars Karthik RS as the protagonist.
– SonyLIV’s Yennanga Sir Unga Sattam review contains mild spoilers –
Yennanga Sir Unga Sattam: A Troubling Duplex
Yennanga Sir Unga Sattam on SonyLIV introduces itself in the trailer as a story without a story and it is not until you finish the film can you agree with the sentence. The film seems to be broken into two halves where the first part takes the role of slow foundation building, whereas the second part asks head-on questions about the fairness of law in the country. A duplex in its depiction and essence, the film does not try to connect its two parts to form a story and rather focuses on being an essay that comments on the social and political structures of the society.
During past interviews the cast has called this film something like K Balachander’s Oru Veedu iru Vaasal but, even though it clearly tries to be that, it fails. The film is brave to pick up the controversial topic of caste and reservation and more so involve priest and temple culture, showing brahmins in a negative light as they have instilled monopoly over the culture of priesthood. But the climax, which is technically supposed to join the two halves, one being a romantic comedy and the other a social drama, misses the shot -making it comes apart.
Image Credit: Still from Yennanga Sir Unga Sattam, now streaming on SonyLIV Image Credit: Still from Yennanga Sir Unga Sattam, now streaming on SonyLIV
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As per the premise of the film, it is quite confusing to put it down in one line. The first half of the film is dedicated to the romance governing the life of the character Karthik RS plays, with little context on caste, reservations and religious politics. The second half focuses on the issue of temple priests being assigned without caste preferences. This coincidentally became a real-life incident days before the release of the film when the Tamil Nadu government decided to appoint 24 trained priests irrespective of their castes to the Hindu temples maintained by the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, making the film all the more a relevant watch.
However, with a heart of gold but pieces dangling here and there, the film cannot rightly instil every bit of knowledge and argument you’d like from something that is founded on social commentary. Yet, it is appreciable how hard Yennanga Sir Unga Sattam tries to deliver its best.
Yennanga Sir Unga Sattam: Final Verdict
Image Credit: Still from Yennanga Sir Unga Sattam, now streaming on SonyLIV
Actors Karthik RS and Ayraa do their job well, in comparison to everyone else. The cinematography by Arun Radhakrishnan and the background score by Balasubramanian are well done too. Of course, the screenplay requires a more solid ground but the work put in by a debutant is applaudable.
You can stream Yennanga Sir Unga Sattam now on SonyLIV.
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