Saattai review

2.5 / 5

Saattai is the journey of a noble teacher with lofty ideals about the education system. He is posted to a reckless government school which has the worst possible set of teachers and a powerless headmaster. How he turns around this lackluster school and makes it the best in the district is what this movie is about. He becomes a champion of the students' cause and becomes their hero while also managing to change the attitude of the teachers around him ever so slowly.

Cheers

• Samuthirakani is majestic and believable as the forthright teacher. We trump for his character straightaway. There is no needless heroism though he is authoritative when he needs to be. Some of his unique ways to train and groom his students are interesting and innovative. There are lots of references to great men of the past and their teachings and words. 
• Imman's songs and RR also lift the overall movie considerably. 
• The movie has sharp dialogs which drive home the point about the necessities of a good teacher.
• The funny antics of students and the way they teaser their teachers is funny as always. 

Jeers

• The film didn't need an elaborate love track with songs, though they sound great. The drama also gets too much during the scenes around the molestation of the heroine.
• All the other teachers are unimaginably bad and just make Kani stand out even more. They are such inhuman reckless bums. Hard to imagine. The headmaster is another shameless character with no caliber to hold the post. 
• The film gets too preachy at times and there are subtle references to Christianity at places. Could have been avoided. 
• The guy who plays the male lead, is such an irritant with his looks. The guy emotes quite ok but he is always in a hyper state. 
• The scene when the heroine suddenly gets love feelings towards the hero is so typically filmy. She is cute nevertheless. 
• Thambi Ramaiah is a total negative guy and suddenly when he does a volte-face after Kani inexplicably asks him to become the headmaster, it is hard to believe. Filmy yet again. 

FINAL WORD:

Good intentions but preachy as well. Samuthirakani and Imman make the movie worth it.