Saudi Vellakka Malayalam Movie

There is no major drama in Saudi Vellakka, a moving film about the judicial system that takes its sweet time to arrive at a conclusion over a lawsuit. Director Tharun Moorthy shows how this long-drawn-out procedure and the passage of time affect the parties concerned. Dec 3, 2022 By Sreejith Mullappilly

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It is said, "Justice delayed is justice denied." Tharun Moorthy's Saudi Vellakka CC225/2009 is a drama about a case that takes a long time to arrive at its conclusion due to the strict adherence to formalities in Indian courts. The parties in the case are an old woman named Aisha Rowther and a child named Abhilash Sashidharan. The story is told mostly in flashbacks. Initially, we see a grown-up Abhilash (Lukman Avaran) being summoned to court for a hearing over the case. Abhilash tries telling the police officer who calls him that it is a trivial case, but the cop insists that he appear in court.

Then, in flashbacks, we are shown the triviality of the matter. It is usually a dispute that could be settled over a cup of coffee, but the caste and class differences ensure that the aggrieved party goes to court. Moorthy's film shows the effects of years of red tape in Indian courts and the passage of time on the lives of these commoners. The case goes on and on even as one magistrate succeeds another over ten years.

It is perhaps to underline this passing of time that Moorthy takes a long-drawn-out approach to storytelling here. A lot of the film simply follows Devi Varma's Aisha as she makes a long trip back home from a stationery shop or the court. If these portions of the film seem a tad uneventful and repetitive, it is intentional. Palee Francis' music keeps our interest in the proceedings intact, just enough.

There is no major drama in Saudi Vellakka, a bit like in Moorthy's last film 'Operation Java'. All that Moorthy tries to do here is create a mostly moody film that discusses real-world issues affecting our society.

For a debutante actor, Devi Varma puts in an assured performance, but credits must also go to Pauly Wilson's pitch-perfect dubbing for her character. On the other hand, Sujith Shankar delivers a credible performance as Aisha's son. The usually reliable Binu Pappu and Lukman Avaran are also effective in their supporting roles.

Saudi Vellakka is not without its minor flaws, though. Some of the courtroom scenes do not add much value to the overall content, and there is an incomplete character arc in the film. I am also not entirely convinced about a change of mind in a character. But the climax works wonders mainly because Moorthy ensures that his main characters underplay their emotions, underlining that the real winner here is the judicial machinery.