Lineman Movie Review: A powerless swipe at social commentary

Director Udhaikumar’s Lineman packs so much in its under-two-hour runtime that it becomes scattered and somewhat convoluted. For a film that talks about electricity, it blacks out way too often and never gains narrative momentum. The core narrative, about a young inventor named Senthil (Jegan Balaji) fighting against a corrupt factory owner, has potential, but the film dilutes its impact by introducing unnecessary subplots. There is a subplot about a youngster (not Senthil) who wages a lone fight against corruption, another about a husband avenging the brutal murder of his wife, and another about a woman facing domestic abuse. These disparate narrative threads have ample scope for melodrama, and Udhaikumar milks it to the hilt.

Director: Udhaikumar

Cast: Jegan Balaji, Charle, Saranya Ravichandran, Aditi Balan

Streamer: Aha

Salt farming is the main source of income for the villagers. A corrupt factory owner controls the power supply in the area and steals electricity, making the farmers vulnerable to electrocution. Senthil lives alone with his father Subbaiah (Charle) after the loss of his mother to electrocution. He seeks a solution to the problem after inventing a device that saves power, but it is not easy for the youngster to realise it in a world with oppressive bureaucracy. Hence, Senthil makes the long journey to Chennai in the hopes of presenting his dream project to the Chief Minister.

Lineman is based on a true story, and one of the main issues with the film is Senthil’s journey. The young man goes to the big city, but the hurdles that he faces there are so rudimentary, such as a street criminal mugging or a police officer threatening to put him behind bars for his act of remonstration against those in power. It is likely that real-life Senthil has also been through similar experiences, but the point of filmmaking is to add an element of fiction or amp up the stakes. Senthil comes back after his seemingly eventful journey that plays out in an uneventful manner on screen.

Then, the narrative shifts to a random thug misbehaving with a pregnant woman before killing her for no apparent reason and her husband looking to exact revenge against him. This thread has little to do with the central plot of the youngster who goes a long way to help the people of his village. The same goes for the few random scenes about a young woman who faces abuse from her husband. Even a romantic angle feels forced. There are also references to a youngster’s fight for his villagers who become cancer victims due to chemical exposure from the factory. I guess the whole point of these different narrative elements is to show that the villagers are in so much strife, but doesn't the one about electrocution suffice? The film could have used more focus on the father-son relationship instead of these needlessly dramatic stretches.

The late arrival of a dutiful collector (Aditi Balan) does very little to elevate a film that becomes increasingly dull over the course of its runtime and is in desperate need of some dramatic upliftment. It is bemusing when the IAS officer tells Senthil that she will ‘help’ him realise his project as much as possible. Is it help or public service?

All of this is to say, Lineman has a trenchant story but little power in its storytelling. Maybe there is some authenticity and sincerity in how Udhaikumar tells the story, with a cast that seems real and a setting that feels rooted in ground reality. There are also some good scenes between Charle and an appropriately sinister Vinayagaraj. In one reasonably impactful scene, Charle tells Vinayagaraj's evil factory owner that he will make him suffer for his tyrannical deeds. Elsewhere, it is the audience who goes through the ordeal.