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Bommai Movie Review: Another psycho act by SJ Suryah in a film that’s a treasure trove of cliches

Director radhamohan’s bommai, starring sj suryah and priya bhavani shankar, is a weird film full of clichéd ideas. the film is illogical and unintentionally funny, says our review..

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• Bommai released in theatres today, June 16.
• The film is directed by Radhamohan.
• SJ Suryah and Priya Bhavani Shankar play lead roles.

Release Date: 16 Jun, 2023

Looking at SJ Suryah’s filmography, it is quite understandable that he excels in playing psycho and villain roles. Be it Spyder or Mersal or New, he has proved his mettle as an actor. Not just that, even in films like Monster or Iraivi, he just impressed everyone with his superlative performances. But, what happens when we keep seeing SJ Suryah variations of the same character? Bommai is one such film that feels meticulous to watch. The main reason is SJ Suryah’s characterisation and his psycho act.

Raj Kumar (SJ Suryah) has a troubled past and lives alone in his Chennai home. He works as a painter in a mannequin factory. One day, he unboxes a mannequin, which has a defect in the chin area. It reminds him of his high-school sweetheart Nandini (Priya Bhavani Shankar). Nandini comes alive for Raj Kumar and together they imagine the life they want to live.

Raj Kumar is a man who has a traumatic childhood, which has affected him psychologically. His hallucinations make him see Nandini every day and converse with him. Add to it, Raj forgoes his medication, which also makes him aggressive. How does his hallucination turn him into a murderer and how it affects his life form the crux of the story.

Bommai is a film that does not fit into director Radhamohan’s brand of films, which are feel-good family dramas. It is a film about a faulty hero – a man with a psychological condition. While SJ Suryah was perfectly cast, the film’s storyline does not appear organic. The main reason is how the director has played to the clichés.

We see young Nandini getting lost in a temple festival. We have a bunch of police officers, who are extremely slow in finding out the culprit. We have dialogues which the audiences could predict even before it is mouthed by the characters on screen. For example, Raj Kumar and Nandini’s flashback scenes take us back to their school days. When the director included a temple festival sequence in it, you could guess how it could end even before it could begin.

The remaining stretch of the film is replete with SJ Suryah going overboard with his performance and poor dialogues. Some of the lines will remind you of Tiger Thangadurai’s ‘mokka’ (bad) jokes. No performance is enough to make you feel invested in the story. Instead, you unintentionally laugh at the weirdness unfolding on screen.

Take, for example, the scene where Raj Kumar talks to the mannequin (Nandini) and they exchange how they would want to marry each other. The dialogues make it absurd to invest in their love story. When the police officer, after learning about Raj Kumar’s condition, calls it a ‘fascinating love story,’ you are left in splits.

Priya Bhavani Shankar has delivered a performance that is forgettable. Yuvan Shankar Raja’s songs are jarring, and so does his background score.

If Bommai was as uninteresting as it could get, it has tacky VFX in a dreamy sequence. Now, that’s two films with tacky VFX that have graced the screens today, June 16. If you’re wondering what the other one is, we will spell it for you - Adipurush it is!

Bommai Movie Review: SJ Suryah gives a BIG performance in Radhamohan's 'Bommai', but the film never convinces us about its central relationship

• 16 Jun 2023
• Release Date: 16 Jun 2023
• 2.25.00 Hrs

Bommai Movie Cast & Crew

"Everyone in this world is with the person they love. Why am I not able to get this good fortune?" I am paraphrasing a little, but this is the most poignant line in Radhamohan's  Bommai , which has SJ Suryah as Raju. He's the one who says the line. He wants to be with Nandhini (Priya Bhavani Shankar). The story has all the things you expect in a love story. Two people meet. There's instant chemistry. But due to circumstances, they get separated. There's much sadness. They meet again, by chance, after many years. This time, they decide to elope and get married before anyone comes between them again. Small difference: there's a mannequin involved. The film oscillates between dreams and reality, between sanity and insanity, and between  Lars and the Real Girl  and  Guna .

What if you want the unattainable? That's a fascinating concept for a love story. But in  Bommai , Radhamohan is unable to pull it off. He may be too good-natured, too family-friendly a person to really dive into the madness of such a premise. You find some of that madness in SJ Suryah's big, big performance. Watching him is like watching a modern-day version of Sivaji Ganesan in many of those movies where every body part would twitch with the effort of acting. Some of it works, but to really ground a performance, you need the screenplay to click. And the writing is direct, with little build-up. It doesn't tease us. We get a big exposition dump that explains everything, and then there's nowhere for the story to go. 

So the film gets into a "how to fill up the time till the climax" exercise. There are three songs. There's meant-to-be-cute rom-comedy. There is a nonstop background score that spins riffs on Ilaiyaraaja's  'Dheiveega raagam' . There is a clumsily.handled police investigation. But the scenes between the leads don't work. They have no chemistry. And the film is so eager to hammer us with Big Moments that I began to yearn for a small emotion that I could carry for a while, something that would make me root for the central relationship. The tone of  Lars and the Real Girl  may be too offbeat for our cinema, but  Guna  is a good example of how to transform this "unattainable love" idea into a powerful film. In  Bommai , we just have the idea.

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Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

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'Bommai' movie review: A terrific showreel of SJ Suryah that is disappointing otherwise

The last time SJ Suryah and Priya Bhavani Shankar paired up, they gave us Monster. It exuded warmth that is often seen in director Radha Mohan’s works. When it was announced that Suryah and Priya were reuniting for an actual Radha Mohan film, it was natural for anyone to expect Bommai to be a rather wholesome feel-good film. However, it was clear right from the start that it was going to be a psychological thriller. The surprising genre notwithstanding, I was willing to be surprised by the meeting of the worlds of Suryah and Radha Mohan. However, Bommai fails to deliver both the chills of a thriller and the hearty moments of a Radha Mohan directorial.

For a love story to be effective and make the audience root for the protagonist, the romance should either be relatable and realistic or quirky and amusing. Bommai, unfortunately, falls under neither category. The lead characters feel emotionally distant and almost none of the conversations exude a sense of realism. During one such conversation, SJ Suryah’s Rajkumar mocks Nandhini’s (Priya Bhavani Shankar) flowery monologue saying, “Habba, namba Tamil vaathiyar class edutha madhri iruku.” I won’t blame him though, as most of the dialogues make us wonder if any lover would talk like this. When a major focus of the film is intended to make us adore their chemistry, it is quite natural that we feel fidgety sitting through their never-ending conversations.

Watching Bommai might remind us heavily of Kamal Haasan’s Gunaa and the film also carries shades of Kadhalil Vizhundhen. The former is regarded as a classic because halfway through the film we start rooting for a deranged abductor. That X-factor is missing in Bommai because Rajkumar is hallucinating and believes a mannequin is his lady love. The ideal ‘happily ever after’ for Rajkumar would be to pop some prescribed pills, and accept the harsh reality. But the film doesn’t quite advocate for mental health. Throughout the film, Radha Mohan tries to sell Rajkumar’s imaginary romance as an aspirational one, even when he does a series of crimes. I lost it when the cop investigating Rajkumar takes a deep breath and exclaims, “What a fascinating love story!” It is quite shocking that Radha Mohan, who is known for presenting humans in interesting shades has gone with outright black-and-white characters in Bommai. To register Rajkumar as a noble person despite his crimes, his victims are villainised. Bommai also gets the weakest female character in Radha Mohan’s stellar filmography.

Priya played by Chandini Tamilarasan hardly gets any background or agency in the film. The two people who made the most out of Bommai are Suryah and Priya. The film has several sequences showing the inanimate doll transitioning into a girl and it is not an exaggeration when I say the transition is quite seamless because of Priya’s admirably convincing looks. Apart from looking pretty, Priya gives her fullest for the role and I quite liked the portions where she embraces darkness and villainy. Suryah, on the other hand, will be the darling of the juries across and will most likely bag a ton of awards. The man who has always given stand-out performances goes a mile extra for Bommai. The long single-shot sequences where he sells innocence, heartbreak, longingness, and rage with the same finesse can be used as an effective showreel for the actor. Such an invested performance warranted equally potent writing to back it up... but alas!

Bommai becomes the first film of Radha Mohan to carry a rather problematic idea. At a time when we are waking up to the idea that a partner needn’t and shouldn’t be a parental figure, we have a heroine who states, “Namaku odane Kuzhandhai venaam, rendu varsham naan unna valarkanum!” while discussing her marriage wishes. Of course, it is a page out of a man’s imagination and not a real girl. Films too are an outspring of a person’s imagination. But, isn’t it imperative that they get the portrayal right? Especially when it is a man penning a woman...even if she is ‘just a bommai.’

Director: Radha Mohan

Cast: SJ Suryah, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Chandini Tamilarasan

Rating: 2/5

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Analysis: Bollywood’s Relationship With Narendra Modi’s BJP Under The Microscope As Elections In World’s Largest Democracy Get Underway

The delayed release of Indian feature film The Sabarmati Report  has placed new scrutiny on Bollywood’s relationship with the country’s political machine, as elections in the world’s largest democracy enter their second week.

The political movie about the disputed 2002 Gujurat riots was due to be released early next month, right in the midst of the six-week election period, but it has been pushed back to August 2. Local reports have cited fears around inciting communal tensions as voters head to the polls.

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Starring Vikrant Massey ( 12th Fail ) and directed by Ranjan Chandel, The Sabarmati Report  centers on journalists trying to uncover the cause behind the burning of the Sabarmati express train in 2002, which killed 58 Hindu pilgrims and led to unprecedented clashes between Hindus and Muslims. Modi, then Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat, where the riots took place, was accused of condoning the violence along with members of the police and other government officials. He was controversially cleared of these charges by a special investigative team in 2012. Last year, a BBC documentary about the affair, titled India : The Modi Question , was banned in India and sparked protests both domestically and in the UK.

A trailer for The Sabarmati Report (watch it below) was released several weeks ago but premiere was subsequently and quietly delayed for several months. According to local reports, producers opted to postpone after being warned of potential conflicts that could arise amid the elections over a movie that could be deemed a pro-Modi take on the affair. Deadline has reached out to the producers for comment.

Modi’s government took office in 2014 and has since concerns have been raised both domestically and internationally that it has explicit biases against religious minorities, predominantly Muslims. Modi used a speech last weekend to allege that the opposition Indian National Congress party proposes to distribute peoples’ wealth among Muslims if that party is elected to power. But Indian newspapers including The Hindu have since proved these claims to have been taken out of context from speeches made by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh almost 20 years ago. The Indian National Congress has since filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India, alleging Modi broke rules that bar political candidates from activities that could aggravate religious tensions.

Distorting history

The Sabarmati Report delay comes as Bollywood’s relationship with politics is placed in the spotlight, following a recent uptick in film releases and promotions that have been accused of stoking communal tensions and allegedly distorting history. Movies under the microscope include Swatantra Veer Savarkar , The Kerala Story and  Razakar: The Silent Genocide of Hyderabad . 

The former comes from actor-director Randeep Hooda and is about controversial 1930s Hindu nationalist leader Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who was famously opposed to Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent strategies. The real-life Savarkar was believed to hold the opinion that nationality should be based on “unity of thought, religion, language and culture,” frequently comparing the Muslims in India to the Jews in Nazi Germany. He once said publicly: “Indian Muslims are on the whole more inclined to identify themselves and their interests with Muslims outside India than Hindus who live next door, like Jews in Germany.”

Earlier this month, government-owned national broadcaster Doordarshan attracted flack for airing contentious movie  The Kerala Story , which follows a group of women from the South Indian state who are coerced into joining Islamic State. The 2023 release, which was initially banned in West Bengal to maintain peace before the ban was lifted across India by the Supreme Court, was marketed as being based on a true story, and was explicitly promoted by Modi’s BJP. Modi has praised the film publicly and observers have pointed out that Kerala is one of only eight states that has never been ruled by his party. The Kerala government has consistently criticized the Modi machine for what it perceives to be nationalist decisions such as the recently enforced Citizenship Amendment Act, which drew criticism around the world for being the first Indian law to explicitly use religion as a criterion for citizenship. 

Razakar: The Silent Genocide of Hyderabad , meanwhile, portrays the violence perpetrated during the rule of the Islamic Nizam in the pre-independence region of Hyderabad. Given that it was produced by BJP member Gudur Narayana Reddy, the movie has also raised eyebrows.

“Contributing to the atmosphere of fear and terror”

Prasad criticized the “lapdog [Indian] media” for giving these movies “free publicity” but said, once released, they often “disappear without a trace after a short run.”

Rather than influencing voter choices, Sidharth Bhatia, a founding editor of The Wire, one of the few remaining independent newspapers in India, said the clutch of movies “probably confirm people’s views and prejudices.” “Now there have been so many films, their impact is bound to be diluted,” he added.

The Bollywood film industry has historically featured prominent Muslims in its ranks, including beloved veterans Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman Khan. In a 2015 TV interview, Shah Rukh Khan criticized the government, stating: “Religious intolerance and not being secular in this country is the worst kind of crime that you can do as a patriot.” Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath shot back, warning him to “remember that if a huge mass in society boycotts his films, he would have to wander the streets like a normal Muslim.”

Khan has remained quiet on political matters since his son was taken into custody on drug-related offences several years ago (the charges were later dropped). The Pathaan star’s more recent silence is reflective of how few figures in Bollywood have spoken out against the government in the last decade, save younger filmmakers like Dibakar Banerjee ( Lust Stories,   Khosla ka Ghosla ). In an  interview with the Indian Express  on Wednesday, Banerjee called the industry an oligarchy that is controlled by four or five big businesses. “It is a tussle between the oligarchy and the state,” said Banerjee, whose film  Tees was shelved by Netflix — potentially due to the political climate (at the time, Netflix said the issue was down to timing). “Both the oligarchy and the state are giving each other too much importance, reducing the room for the number of conflicting things that we can express in a dynamic culture,” he added.

With Modi’s BJP expected to win a rare third term in office, the future feels uncertain for freedom of expression in India’s beloved film industry. 

“Today there are those who are sucking up to the powerful, those who try to stay in the safe zone by turning up at important events like the Ram temple inauguration and smiling for the cameras, and those who keep quiet, hoping things will change,” said Prasad. “I feel a lot of [industry veterans] are confused because they were so used to functioning in an industry where Muslim participation in all departments was indispensable that they wouldn’t have dreamed of it being any other way.

“So internally, these segments will remain if left to themselves. But will they be left to themselves? That’s the real question.”

Deadline has reached out to the BJP for comment.

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