Sega Telugu Movie
Sega, although never created any hype but there was one strong reason that made me watch this film. You'd be wondering what could possibly be the reason in a film that has no big names associated with it. Well, firstly whilst watching a regional film or Indian film just to be precise, I never get carried away by the cast. Nevertheless, this film had someone I've always considered highly talented. He is none other than 'Gautham Menon'. And this time around, I can't say I got carried away but definitely was high on
expectation.
There are two things you have to understand and appreciate about this film. One, a lady director, for the first time, instead of cooking up a mushy feel-good romantic entertainer, tried her hands at something way offbeat. Good! Second, she did it with novice actors and not old, experienced ones. Very good! But, one place that she completely screwed up was her selection of script.
Sega is yet another narration of the life of two underprivileged men in the belly of North Madras,
where crime is part and parcel of everyday life. Two friends, Karthik and Vishnu live a normal, nothing
spectacular life until the latter falls head over heels for Vani.
Love comes with responsibilities is an old saying, today in a more fitting way it is said that love comes with a price, pain and suffering.
Vani is in the most convenient, non-taxable profession called prostitution, in the possession of Karthik's
father, a local pimp. In order to free Vani, Karthik signs on an assignment with his dad to peddle drugs. Though he never encourages the idea of drug-dealing, he is forced to do it for his friend. Peddling drugs isn't an easy, is it? What happens in these characters lives forms the rest of the story.
Sega teases you for most part of the film and messes with your head for the rest. What I like about this film is the fact that you can easily connect with these characters. These are not characters that live in luxurious apartments, drive Hum-V or BMW, but they live a common life just like you and me. Yes, how does one define common life is different from each other! I may be part of a well-to-do family and still struggle to live and so can you be a part of not-so-luxurious and yet struggle to achieve what you want. Struggle is same to one and all, but the circumstances that define it are different. That's exactly what the director succeeds in portraying so poignantly, that in the second half you start feeling a connection with
the characters.
Performances were top class, no doubt about it and out of everybody, Nani, with meager role stood apart. Evam Karthik, a popular face amidst theatre arena in Chennai, though wasn't the best but neither was bad at the same time. Although, one might feel that he could given a little more, may just a little extra to satisfy everybody, especially those who are finicky about these things.
Nithya Menon, after the success of her last film with Nani, has come a long way. She is chirpy, cute and adorable in Sega, but does that typecast her as someone who can't innovate with roles. I guess so, if she doesn't go off-track and try something different, very soon she will become boring to watch.
Others did their part equally well without giving way to criticism. I'm happy that the director didn't inundate the story with too many characters because that would've become irksome.
Music by Joshua Sridhar is icing on cake. There is perfect synchronization between scenes and music. Violence and vengeance were driven by melancholic music, while romance was defined by triumphant music. And, most important of all is the cinematographer- Om Prakash, for having captured the dark and dingy side of Chennai. He gave the audience new set of eyes to watch the film through naked eyes but
not through some technologically facilitated ambience that may look chic, but never real.
Finally, the reason I gave this film 3 stars, is because of Anjana Ali Khan, the director for trying something no woman director has ever tried, not even in Hollywood. Although, I feel the movie with some expert help could have been better; Anjana being the debutant certainly couldn't make it look better.
In one line, Sega is old wine in a new and attractive bottle.
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