Scene Movie Review:

Vision. While it might not be the case now, there was a time when almost every interview inevitably had this question: Where do you see yourself in five years? Five years is a long time, right? If we are being interviewed, most of us would give some generic answer. If we are the ones doing the interview, we know how to see through the generic answers. Some people offer an answer so wild and audacious that you never ask that question the same way again. Jithu Madhavan’s Scene is one such answer to a question about what star films should look like in a few years' time. Yes, star vehicles need to service the star, but if the star decides to serve the story, keeps their whims behind the camera, steps into the frame without a chip on their shoulder, and trusts the director’s vision to focus on the story first, the star will invariably be seen. 

Jithu is clear that he has a superstar in his hands, but there is no fun in making him do everything he has already done. The film is in no hurry to elevate and celebrate Suriya. In fact, it begins with the story of Eeswaran, played by the other star, Naslen. He may seem cut from the same cloth as Spyder’s SJ Suryah, but Eeswaran is a formidable beast in his own right. From the first time we meet him, an unnerving chill runs through the way he handles murder and mayhem. By not wasting time setting up the killer and his machinations, Jithu delivers a masterstroke in writing right from the first frame. He gives us a deliciously dark villain with no scruples or a sad backstory. 

Soon enough, we see the life and times of DSP Inbaraj (a terrific Suriya), who has his own methods of investigation and a set of idiosyncrasies that rile up many, including junior officer Vinoth (a wonderful Suresh Madhiyalagan) and senior officer Stephen (Lal). While these scenes aren’t always engaging, they serve as a platform for Jithu to establish the intelligent mayhem Inbaraj and Eeswaran create and thrive on. The acumen of both the hero and the villain outweighs their attitude. Both are extremely aware of every step they take and have heightened control of their actions. Their senses are sharper than the average person's, and it is beautiful how a case about one of the five senses brings their worlds into head-on collision. 

Now, Scene could have been a simple and straightforward cat-and-mouse thriller between a dogged police officer and a ruthless killer. But Jithu throws in a couple of on-point surprises that raise the stakes. He isn't reinventing the wheel, but just giving it a much-needed makeover. While both Eeswaran and Inbaraj are lone wolves, Jithu gives each of them a quirky support system. This not only helps with their antics, but also ensures the film never runs short on random pockets of levity. The hero’s posse is much better than the villain's because it includes people from eclectic professions who serve the protagonist’s purpose. Convenience? Yes. Convincing? Maybe. Charismatic? Definitely. 

Maya (a wonderful Nazriya Nazim) plays Inbaraj’s househelp who also brings his dark ideas to light. She has quirks of her own, and a father who loves to snort… let’s say chalk. Inbaraj’s parents, played by Anandhraj and Raji, have their own oddities, and so does Eeswaran’s team, which features everyday people doing dastardly things. While the pieces are there, not all of them fit in the right way in Scene. The film tries to do a lot, but it can never be faulted for not trying enough. Take, for instance, the one gag involving a couple who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. It has no bearing on the film, but it never stops being hilarious. Similarly, there is another gag featuring elders speaking about family honour and good behaviour. It comes out of nowhere, and leaves as quickly as it comes, but not before smacking you with its brazenness. The same impact hits when we first see Maya performing adrenaline-pumping stunts. Here, we also see what Inbaraj does on the sidelines, and how Vinoth manages the situation. Basically, Jithu doesn’t miss any opportunity to use Suriya’s idea of superstardom and stage great theatrics. 

The writing flourishes in Scene is a gift that keeps on giving. The scenes between Inbaraj and Maya, where they get acquainted and figure out their way into each other’s hearts, are staged with a rare sense of honesty. There is romance, but not the ‘love at first sight’ kind. It goes deeper and reminds you that love always finds a way. While these portions threaten to take the narrative on a completely different detour, Jithu keeps us close to Eeswaran. His presence looms over the film, and even if the proceedings feel lethargic, he also carries a sense of unease. He gets his fair share of wins in this battle, and pushes Inbaraj to his knees whenever possible. Inbaraj might be a daredevil, but Eeswaran is no pushover either, and this makes for fascinating viewing. In fact, the film doesn’t keep any character around just for the sake of it. Even the characters of Stephen and Vinoth, who serve as elevators to the superstar’s image, manage to rise to respectable levels.

Scene isn’t a simple film by any standards. It deals with psychological issues, bloody murders, brutal violence, gory details, vulnerable men and women with mommy and daddy issues, and ventures into its fair share of even darker spaces. But Jithu never stops trying to either wring out a laugh or conjure a mass scene out of the most incredulous happenings. It also helps that Sushin Shyam, in his Tamil debut, delivers a soundtrack more interested in championing Inbaraj, Maya, and Eeswaran than Suriya, Nazriya, and Naslen. For a film that says a lot, Scene is actually very contained. It is comfortably set in just a couple of locations, and production designer Ashwini Kale ensures we never feel the minimalism. The same holds true for Vineeth Augustian's cinematography, which illuminates Scene's world with just the right amount of brightness and doesn't shy away from using muted shades in a vibrant setting. The team had to bring a lived world to the fore in a new light, and their work acts as invisible pillars that Jithu uses to ensure Inbaraj and Co effectively moonwalk their way to the finish.

Earlier this year, Suriya braved the odds to deliver a quintessential Tamil film, Karuppu, in May, and rewrote box-office records. Two months later, in August, he delivered an upmarket bilingual, Vishwanathan and Sons, which reiterated his stardom in the Telugu markets as well. And now, in November, with Scene, he's gone as close to Kerala as possible by working with an original, true-blue Malayali filmmaker. Basically… after Soorarai Pottru, Jai Bhim, and a bunch of his own productions released directly on OTT, the chips were down, and Suriya wasn’t at his purplest of patches. A lot was said about him, and incessant trolling and ridicule were the norm. If someone had asked 2021 Suriya where he saw himself in the next five years… he might have just given his ‘Suriya’ smile, because he has always let his work do the talking. And five years later, 2026 has seen the return of the actor, the star, and most importantly, The One who carefully… film after film, knocked down doors in every market to say… “Guess who’s back.”