Sattamum Needhiyum series review: An honest courtroom drama that nearly wins with some fumbles on the way

Sattamum Needhiyum series review: Despite some rushed moments in the finale, the honest storytelling makes it a compelling watch

Sattamum Needhiyum

Sattamum Needhiyum

Sattamum Needhiyum series plot:

Public rotary Sundara Moorthy (Saravanan), who does not have a glorious professional life, takes up the case of a disappearing girl after her father Kuppusamy immolates himself within the court premises. He is aided by a young law professional Aruna (Namritha MV). What seems to be a straightforward case takes the duo to unravel a complicated mystery, while they face a powerful and renowned public prosecutor.

Sattamum Needhiyum series review:

What prompts Sundara Moorthy to take up the case of Kuppusamy is interesting and grounded at the same time. Not that he doesn’t give two cents to the man who immolated inside the court boundaries, a mysterious disappearance of a young girl, or even that police and law have not helped the people in need. But when Sundara Moorthy gets embarrassed about his ineligibility to become a successful lawyer in front of his son, and his daughter thinking that perhaps her father is not cut out for legal arguments, it hits closer to home for the ageing protagonist. It is a personal conflict, perhaps an ongoing mid-life crisis, one that is internalised and gets channelised into a path for an underdog to his heroic moment. It is not abnormal for lawyers to see gruesome cases, but when Sundara Moorthy is at a point that challenges his existence, he takes up the case, and hence, Sattamum Needhiyum gets a good head start.

It is the usual rise of the underdog format that Sattamum Needhiyum follows. When his professional life is limited to being a notary public, an instance of self-immolation by Kuppusamy sets the ball rolling for a bigger case. Aruna joins Sundara Moorthy, and it is through her that we begin to see who the latter is; someone strong with the sections in law and how he has helped in finding legal points for her moot court sessions. Thus begins the courtroom drama, and the staples are spread through the first few episodes; a highly reputed and powerful lawyer as defence, no strong evidence, and powerful backing for the opponent. And yet, Sattamum Needhiyum cleverly uses its episodic break to give away a twist and hook for the next. The courtroom genre helps the series to push the narrative that almost gets it right, while the crisp runtime that of a film is an added advantage.

Also read: Sattamum Needhiyum actor Saravanan: On playing hero after 15 years, life after Paruthiveeran, and less courtroom dramas in Tamil

While up till the unravelling, Sattamum Needhiyum gets away with its honest making, and a vulnerable approach for portrayal of Sundara Moorthy by Saravanan, the last few episodes do fall a little generic. It is evident that the writing chooses to do away with cliched narrative and yet somehow it circles back to that one issue involving a gender-based crime. Even as the issue forms the core, Sattamum Needhiyum does not want to dabble much, but still uses it as the main plot to flesh out its climax. But the narrative up and till there promises an honesty. Saravanan plays the aged protagonist, and Namrita, being his much-younger associate helping him solve the case, gets a chunk of presence in the screenplay in a good way. But had the series fleshed out further writing towards the final few episodes when the unravelling begins, it misses a mark as the story feels complex, which is told in a rushed manner. The scene keeps jumping and we are passed on from character to character within a short span, which sometimes cannot help you to keep track of the revelation quite clearly.

Sattamum Needhiyum series verdict:

Sattamum Needhiyum attempts for a fresh making and nearly succeeds in it. There is a sense of clarity that prevails through the story, even as the hiccups are visibly there. Had it thought of expanding the revelation a little more ahead and given some space to breathe, Sattamum Needhiyum could have made it to a more engrossing watch. Nevertheless, with its honest execution, barring a few distractions, the series almost gets it right.

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