Saamaniyan

“Saamaniyan” is a 2024 Tamil vigilante thriller film written and directed by R. Rahesh, produced by Etcetera Entertainment. Ramarajan, Radha Ravi, and M. S. Bhaskar features in the major roles.

Three senior citizens devise a bold bank robbery in T Nagar, Chennai. Their moves rock the city with huge media attention and heavy police deployment. “Sankara Narayanan” (Ramarajan), an ex-military man, coordinates the operation within the bank, but his two pals (M. S. Bhaskar and Radha Ravi) adopt a different strategy: they take bank staff member’s families hostage at gunpoint in their residences. With every escalating development in the drama, the commandos and the police cannot help but wonder about their motives. What compels three old men to resort to this?

The film begins on an ominous note, and viewers find themselves catapulted into the nail-biting intrigue of the robbery. The city is in disarray, and the authorities are clueless as to how to deal with the situation. The past troubles of the three men are gradually revealed, layering their characters. Are they thieves, or is there something more to their actions?

“Ramarajan” provides a good performance, acting like a man with intelligence and direction. His two co-stars, M. S. Bhaskar and Radha Ravi, provide the emotional depth and comedy to the story. The chemistry and background they share shape the core of the story and make the viewer empathize with their plight.

Although the film possesses an interesting plot, there are a couple of moments that strain the believability. Sankara Narayanan handling the bank alone does not look believable, and some scenes are not well planned. The pace slows down in some scenes, especially when useless dialogue dilutes the suspense. However, the film is suspenseful until the last few scenes, holding viewers.

Despite its flaws, "Saamaniyan" presents a fresh take on the vigilante genre in combining thrills, sentiments, and social causes. The film makes us question significant things about justice and desperation and is thus an interesting watch.