BOTTOM LINE
Chaotic Funeral Comedy
RATING
1.5/5
RUNTIME / PLATFORM
2 hours (six episodes) | ZEE5
What Is the Show About?
Rathinam, a desperate smuggler, conceals a diamond in his slipper during a police raid, inadvertently swapping it with Thyagarajan’s. Thyagarajan, a mild-mannered auditor, and his son, Ilango, discover the swap after the funeral but promptly lose the slipper in a series of comical mishaps. The slipper passes through various eccentric characters, each adding their own chaotic element to the search.
Performances
Singam Puli, the only familiar face in the show packed with newcomers, does what’s expected of him with his trademark dialogue delivery. There’s nothing new that he does with it, though; he easily sleepwalks through it. Vivek Rajgopal needs more time to develop a flair for comedy; he’s sillier than funny here. While Ira Aggarwal looks good, the role provides her hardly anything substantial.
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Analysis
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Seruppugal Jaakirathai, as the title suggests, has an uncanny premise. The protagonist, Thyagarajan, an auditor, and his son Ilango are on the hunt for a pair of slippers in which a smuggler Rathinam has hidden diamonds while being chased by the cops. In pursuit of the slippers, the father-son duo head to a local bar and a brothel and ultimately land at a funeral, where all hell breaks loose.
Plots like these work when the director is skilled enough to integrate a unique bunch of characters in an atmosphere where the humour flows in organically. The creators opt for a slapstick treatment, weaving in one exaggerated scenario after the other, where the characters react hysterically to the issues thrown at them. It struggles to settle into any rhythm, and the chaos is barely funny.
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While the story revolves around a crime, the show is ultimately a funeral comedy that brings together cops, gangsters, corrupt government officials and a family that’s not exactly grieving a patriarch’s death. If there’s a strength that the director Rajesh Soosairaj clearly exhibits, it’s his knack for creating wacky characters with unique identities. There are unusual moments that elicit laughter.
Ilango (Thyagarajan’s son) is keen to prove his worthiness to his father but makes a mockery of himself and is wooed by a deceased man’s granddaughter. Thyagarajan’s wife makes a gangster lift suitcases at her house and gets a cop to place a cylinder in her kitchen. A deceased man is a mute witness to the manipulation around him, as the heirs debate over property even before the final rites.
Though select portions and situations in the show are strangely comical, it is quite apparent that the director is only finding excuses to stretch the runtime. The screenplay is too straightforward and predictable to keep you glued. It just doesn’t know what to do with its premise, losing its way building on an outrageous idea. It doesn’t have the legs to be a 2 hour long show at all.
Despite a decent start, Seruppugal Jaakirathai is lazily written, where there’s no attempt to make a viewer care for the proceedings. Everyone is lost in their chaos. Although it’s alright to have a show full of flawed, eccentric characters, the director should ideally make the viewer root for them at some level. After a point, you stare at your watch more than worrying about the hunt for diamond-laden slippers.
Seruppugal Jaakirathai is mediocrity personified, reiterating how Tamil digital space has a long way to go before it understands the grammar and the potential of the medium. There’s nothing that works in its favour.
Performances by Others Actors
Lollu Sabha Manohar, cast as Munusamy, is tiresome to watch with his drunkard ramblings. Indrajith looks apt to play the smuggler, with the appearance, dialogue delivery and body language. There are a host of actors in brief roles – from Savaal Ram to Udumalai Ravi, Mappilai Ganesh, Pon Maran and Durai Prabahar – though they don’t get to do much to make any concrete impact.
Music and Other Departments?
LV Muthu Ganesh’s music subscribes to the typically loud, over-the-top approach of the proceedings; it neither adds much value to the show nor undermines it. K Gangadaran’s cinematography is generally neat and effective, with sharp framing and precise visual storytelling. Ezhichur Aravindan comes up with a good story, though the same can’t be said about the screenplay and the dialogues.
Highlights?
Unusual premise
Wacky characters
Singam Puli’s presence
Drawbacks?
Slapstick humour, stops being funny after a point
Screenplay loses its fizz quickly
Loud and over the top
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
Not at all
Seruppugal Jaakirathai Series Review by M9
