Sengalam Review: This Familiar Tale of Politics is Powered by Fine Performances

Director: SR Prabhakaran

Cast: Vani Bhojan, Viji Chandrashekhar, Kalaiyarasan

Streaming On: Zee5

In the opening scene of Sengalam, Velaayi, a middle-aged woman, is seen carrying food through the forests of the Virudhunagar district, accompanied by a dog. When the dog suddenly gets lost, she lets out a helpless cry. This is when we see a few men jumping down from trees — the camera swirls around a perplexed, wide-eyed Velaayi, as she sees the blurry visuals of the men approaching her. What this head-swirling camera work does is set the tone for the series — where the people of its universe often only have a blurred understanding of the ones around them. 

“Arasiyal la viswasam nu onnu illave illa. Adha edhir paakira arasiyalvaathi thothu thaan povaan. (There is no loyalty in politics and the one who expects that will only lose),” Suryakala (Vani Bhojan) tells her father-in-law, Sivagnyanam (Sharath Lohitashwa). This forms the basis of the revenge drama Sengalam, which revolves around people in power placing their trust in the wrong place. 

The series traces two timelines parallelly. While, at present, Rayar (a brilliant Kalaiyarasan) and his two brothers are out on a killing spree, we also get to witness a past where Sivagnyanam and his family, who have ruled the Virudhunagar district for decades, are in the process of choosing a worthy successor. But the emergence of a sudden rival puts their family’s legacy at risk. As these two stories merge midway, we see a political revenge story turn personal.

Depicting two parallel timelines helps the series build momentum with several unanswered questions. This also pays off when a main character is introduced much later in the series. However, what the series, like most dramas and thrillers in Tamil, fails to have is an effective police track. “Endha kaalathula irukeenga? Cyber Crime la irukura technology eh theriyaama irukeenga, (What period are you stuck in? You are not aware of how advanced Cyber Crime technology is),” a senior police officer echoes our frustration — but this line goes wasted as they eventually go back to using out-dated methods to carry their investigation forward. For instance, when the cops try to track the phones of Rayar and co, the latter had already changed their numbers. So the cops come up with a super plan: they contact one of the government officials who is also related to Rayar and get hold of his new number. However, instead of tracking the phone, they try to call and trap him, which he obviously realises, quickly escaping to a new hiding spot. 

The show becomes contrived when new people keep rising to power, and the party members and other political parties, who were once a threat, slowly get reduced to being mere puppets. Sengalam is also predictable in the sense that you know who is going to kill whom and who is the betrayer, but the way in which the story unfolds makes for an engaging watch. Flaws and all, the well-etched characters and powerful performances are the backbones of the series. And that is mainly because director Prabhakaran understands the complex world of politics, which consists of both naive and canny politicians who know how to take the next step. 

Kalaiyarasan is brilliant as Rayar, who looks tough from the outside but is driven by the magnitude of his emotions. When his mother dies, he instructs his brothers to not go back home and remain silent. But he gets teary for a split second, before the burning rage replaces the tears almost immediately. Vani Bhojan and Sharath Lohitashwa also stand out with their performances, but the surprise package has to be Shali Nivekas of Chennaiku Pudhusu 2 fame (in her debut) as Naachiyar, a strong-willed and calculative political aspirant. The women in the series are not pawns, but are those who lead the political game — Suryakala and Naachiyar change the whole power setup — and whatever happens in the Virudhunagar politics is centred around them.

After killing most of them in a battle for power, Rayar learns too late of the mastermind behind these conflicts and so does Sivagnyanam. While what the latter learns is kept a secret for a possible sequel, the two realise that sometimes people’s loyalty is questionable not just among party members but also among your own flesh and blood.