The Cocktail Of Quirky Story Arches And Intercuts…
Ever since the trailer of Super Deluxe released, it created a frenzy among moviegoers. Along with the ensemble star cast and a team of brilliant writers, Thiagarajan Kumararaja, the producer and director of the film, leaves no stone unturned to justify the hype it generated.
’Super Deluxe’ takes us through a journey of four different stories. A troubled marital relationship between Vaembu (Samantha Akkineni) and Mugilan (Fahadh Faasil), Three sexually frustrated teenagers in pursuit of a 48-inch TV, Shilpa (Vijay Sethupathi) a transgender, who has come back to her family, Arputham (Mysskin), a fanatic god believer and Leela (Ramya Krishnan), a former movie star who is desperately trying to save her injured son, Soori.
Super Deluxe Deals With Copious Themes and Detailing…
The movie written by Kumararaja, Mysskin, Nalan Kumarasamy and Nolan K Sekar brings a myriad of themes and weaves them together beautifully towards the end. The film takes a dig at the present political system, social conditioning and also raises questions on morality, sexual gratification, god, faith, spirituality and the universe.
PS Vinod and Nirav Shah’s visuals enhance the film by giving us an understanding and the sense of discomfort of the characters. Yuvan Shankar Raja’s clever usage of vintage songs of Ilayaraja and the terrific background scores particularly during the scenes with Berlin (Bagavathi Perumal) and Shilpa, Berlin and Vaembu, elevate the film wonderfully.
There are numerous themes and detailings interluded in the screenplay, that it is hard to pick one which stands out. The walls of the houses, the usage of blue and red colours throughout, the costumes of characters, the usage of black plastic covers or the way the reference of a cat is used, it is endless. They all added to the magic of the film.
Performances Which Stand Out As Bold…
All the performances of the film are so endearing to watch. Fahadh is as natural as ever. In an industry which requires the heroine to play second fiddle and often confines them to stereotype roles post marriage, it is wonderful to see Samantha take up a bold and a gutsy role and she does it with ease. She has paved a way for other actresses to follow suit in taking up more challenging roles. Ramya Krishnan does a fine job and it will remain as one of her best works. Vijay Sethupathi is one of the finest actors in our country and it is a sheer delight to watch him take us into Shilpa’s world. The heartwarming relationship he shares with her son, Rasukutty (Ashwanth) whose ‘Ding Dong’ is extremely adorable.
On the flip side, the sudden thrust of Sci-fi elements into the narrative may be confusing for the general audience. A runtime of close to three hours can make one a little restless especially in the second half but overall it packs a punch.
A Unique Path-Breaking film…
In the end, Super Deluxe is a convergent of four different worlds and a poignant take on life itself. It talks about the duality of life through its characters. The film shows the chaos that human life is constantly surrounded with and makes us question our own core belief system. It is witty, dark and emotional. It isn’t preachy and yet it poses questions and seeks answers in an entertaining way. Overall, it is a unique, path-breaking film and an experience which will linger on your mind and stay with you for a long time.
