Storyline: A carefree Dalit guy who desires to make a mark in Carnatic Music. He faces a lot of obstacles while pursuing the dream. Can he overcome? This forms the crux of the story.
It took 17 years for Rajiv Menon to come up with a script like this and the wait is worth it. The ace director has done his homework and the background study thoroughly to come up with the reality in the Carnatic music circuit. Not only that, the casting for the movie is just spot on and he deserves credits for that alone.
Peter played by GV Prakash is a son of reputed mridangam maker Johnson played by Kumaravel. Initially, Peter is a carefree soul who is a die-hard fan of actor Vijay. He bunks exams to watch his movies, and his life was going smoothly until the day he watches Vembu Iyer, a renowned Miruthangam artist’s performance in the Sabha. Peter goes there to deliver the miruthangam his father made for Iyer, lesser did he know this moment is going to change his life forever. Peter suddenly desires to learn miruthangam and this desire carries the movie.
Peter is discouraged from pursuing his dream literally by everyone. A few plays the caste card as well, but nobody could stop the artist inside Peter. He decides to follow Vembu Iyer wherever he goes, be it his residence or even temple. The lyrically beautiful song Varalama happens, and do watch out for constantly improving GV Prakash’s acting. He somehow manages to win hearts of Vembu Iyer, and those classes with him turn out to be life lessons for Peter. Circumstances force him to leave Iyer. He decides to take off, travel around India to “find his music”. That is when Ravi Yadav chips in to dominate with his work. There were a lot of beautiful locations captured in an excellent way. Watch out for the shot where GV Prakash plays miruthangam with a train and setting sun in the background.
Vineeth as Mani, a casteist, unlike his guru Vembu Iyer is yet another brilliant casting. In fact, everyone in this movie is one or other related to music or dance.
Both the relationships- the relationship between Peter and his guru, Peter and his father- are were well written but Rajiv Menon fails a bit when it comes to the sub-plot between the heroine and the hero. In both of Rajiv Menon’s movie Minsara Kanavu and Kandukondein Kandukondein, the importance for the female lead was more, but here it was missing. It certainly can be ignorable as it didn’t cause much damage to the movie.
Well, We don’t have words to explain the work of AR Rahman in the movie. He is the reason why the movie slowly hits you hard. No wonder he is the genius.
On the whole, Rajiv Menon’s Sarvam Thaala Mayam is something one shouldn’t miss in theatres. The wait is worth it.
