Sandakkari Movie Review:
If a film delayed by years doesn't leave enough impact, it can often be dismissed as a casualty of changing times. But director R Madhesh's Sandakkari offers little evidence that its problems stem from its release date. A remake of the 2012 Malayalam hit My Boss, starring Dileep and Mamta Mohandas, the film arrives with a dated screenplay, limp humour and a convoluted plot that struggles to justify its own choices. Even its attempts to modernise the source material only expose how little the writing has to offer.
Sandakkari kicks off in London, where Vetri (Vemal) joins Magic IT Company as executive secretary to the company CMO, Maya Azhagan (Shriya Saran). Vetri's new colleagues warn him about Maya's temper, but the two grow closer. Their unintentional and transactional bond soon becomes something more.
The makers of Sandakkari might have thought the delayed release could find similar success to Sundar C-Vishal's Madha Gaja Raja (2025), which was released after more than a decade. What worked for the Sundar C film, despite the brickbats for some distasteful choices, was that it delivered regular laughs and presented Santhanam as the beloved comedian we were yearning for. Sandakkari has none of that. The film, it seems, would not have cut the ice with the audience even if it was released in 2019 as planned. The main reason is that no joke, healthy or unsavoury, lands properly.
The film is clear about its ends all along, but not the means. Sandakkari tries to innovate the screenplay, and give us a different film than the original, it leaves gaping holes. The film crumbles under the weight of its own complex plot points. Ideas like UK citizenship, marriage of convenience, and an app launch remain merely ideas, and the writers don't bother to flesh any of them out. The elements of the Malayalam film that director Madhesh chose to add or avoid have no rhyme or reason. There simply seems no application of thought in introducing a rich Tamilian, with a degree in B Tech and proficiency in AI and Machine Learning and an eight-year career gap, 'helplessly' fleeing to England to work as a menial to launch his app.
Director: R Madhesh
Cast: Vemal, Shriya Saran, Prabhu, KR Vijaya, Dev Gill, Punnagai Poo Gheetha
The namesake modifications made in the screenplay make a weak justification for what gets retained. The conflict between Vetri and his father (Prabhu) doesn't look convincing in the second half. Their beef isn't serious enough for Vetri to flee to another nation for money. The exchange between Vetri and Matthew (Dev Gill) tries to wear specious sophistication as the dynamics wait with bated breath for a template climax fight. Also, there would have been something to cheer for in the film if it justified the title. As a character, Maya doesn't seem intimidating, and Vetri isn't really frightened by his boss.
With what is essential for the film being few and far between, the sprinklings of misogynistic references to Maya's attire like 'Kuttapaavada,' women drinking, 'Pombalaya adakka odakkama.....' are generous and unnecessary. Not that there were writing flairs in the film, but humour, as mentioned above, clearly signals that the writers were at the end of their wits. Jokes alluding to 'Dharmayudham' and demonetisation didn't even elicit a chuckle, and once again, this has nothing to do with the delay in release.
Sandakkari is, unfortunately, dull and drab, and struggles to rise above in any department. The sloppy manner in stringing together the already regular ideas with poor jokes, ill-conceived scenes and performances hamstrung by writing makes Sandakkari a forgettable fare.
