Saguni

“Saguni” (2012) This Tamil political satire was directed and written by Shankar Dayal and starred Karthi, Pranitha and Santhanam in the lead roles. In the film, Kamalakannan, a small-town man who inherits an ancestral home in the city, enters the dirty world of politics to save it but ends up dragged into the corruption and power games that turn him to fight the system by its own rules.

The story starts with this old hand of politics, veteran Satyamoorthy being sworn in as the Chief Minister. Just days later, a fabricated scandal, the work of ambitious minister R. K. Boopathi, threatens to destroy his good name. It is the public backlash that drives Satyamoorthy and his family to take their own lives. Then Boopathi wins the by-election and is subsequently sworn in as the new Chief Minister. Meanwhile, Kamalakannan, an idealistic young farmer from Karaikudi, reaches Chennai to protest against a railway project that would raze his ancestral land to the ground. Fleeing mistaken for a dacoit by auto driver Rajini Appadurai, Kamal rides around surreal Chennai searching for political support. He moves in with his aunt Rani, and falls in love with her daughter, Sridevi, but under familial duress gives her up.

Kamal quickly figures out that Boopathi is responsible for the dangerous railway project and Satyamoorthy’s ruination. Disillusioned by the corrupt status quo, he employs his street smarts to rise as a legendary political strategist. Through a combination of long-term visionary and tactical thinking, he gets a not-so-bright moneylender, Ramani, elected mayor. Basking in his newfound political clout, he then teams up with Perumal from the rival political party and gets him elected as the state’s Chief Minister. Kamal initially sides with the latter, he is the one who exposes Boopathi’s crimes, resulting in his arrest. Now that the railway project is called off, Kamal not only saves his land but rejoins with Sridevi.

“Saguni” is an interesting mix of humour, political drama, and social commentary. Karthi plays a charming character who learns to outsmart entrenched politicians. The movie shows how ordinary people can challenge corruption with creativity. It features catchy music and comic moments with Santhanam, presenting a serious look at power and activism.