‘Sorgavaasal’ movie review: RJ Balaji’s ambitious crime drama withers in effect

In the latest RJ Balaji-starrer Sorgavaasal, an analogy likening a prison to hell reminded me of a popular quote: “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” Debutant director Sidharth Vishwanath’s meticulously written and assembled crime drama wishes to be a clinical exploration of the existential, moral and social conditions this quote speaks of. Sidharth’s long prison saga, populated by numerous characters, begins with Kattabomman, newly appointed the Superintendent of Police governing the Madras Central Prison, speaking of the two ill-fated decisions everyone has to make in this world: You either become the emperor of hell, or you kneel as a stooge in heaven. Rightly titled ‘Sorgavaasal’, the film is set in a world where hell and heaven exist as one, with depraved souls who desire to either exit hell, or rule it with a firm fist, or bend knees to gods of the heaven, or pretend to be the gods themselves. Sorgavaasal Director: Sidharth Vishwanath Cast: RJ Balaji, Selvaraghavan, Sharf U Dheen, Saniya Iyappan Runtime: 137 minutes Storyline: An innocent man, imprisoned under a false charge, finds himself in a quagmire amidst a raging political conspiracy It’s impressive how Sidharth, with the help of writers Ashwin Ravichandran and Tamizh Prabha, attempts to give each character due importance and maintains a uniform pitch in the drama.