So, is SSE Side A flawless? No. But, the rousing end act wipes all of that from memory.
This is a film that deserves and commands a certain frame of mind. It needs you to let go and submit yourself to the pace Hemanth sets (he’s also a co-editor). Love is of all kinds. Contemplation is love too. As is sacrifice. And, as is letting go.
Somewhere along the line, you just know what’s going to happen, but the writing and the fine performances (Gopalkrishna Deshpande, Achyuth Kumar, Sharath Lohithaswa) insist you sit down and allow the waves of grief to wash over you. Charan Raj’s music works alongside the fine writing, both in the scintillating background score and the songs (superb, melting lyrics by Dhananjay Ranjan, Nagarjun Sharma and B R Suvarna Sharma). You appreciate the songs way better after watching the movie, though. That context helps greatly. If you’ve watched Raj Shetty-starrer Toby, which released last week, you might chuckle at a particular edit in this film.
Rakshit is a proven performer, and he infuses Manu with a certain swag and vulnerability. But, it takes a superb artiste like Rukmini to get you rooting for Priya. When was the last time we saw someone like Priya on screen? Rukmini brings alive the angst of a young woman drawn into a legal battle for a choice made by someone she loves. And despite the distance and the odds stacked against them, her love soars. That smile, those tear-rimmed eyes… tug at your heart.
SSE is like sitting down to watch a test match, and preparing yourself for the long haul with some fine strokes, before a T-20 player walks into the wrong field, and takes the match places. And, after all that mood being set, you need this fast-paced action to feel some sort of closure.