Siruvan Samuel review: Rekindles your childhood memories and the love for cricket

Debutant director Sadhu Burlington’s Siruvan Samuel (Youngster Samuel) is an endearing and delightful children’s film that takes you on a trip down memory lane.

It is unique for several reasons and is probably the first Tamil film to feature the Kanyakumari dialect. It revolves around the simple lives of two young boys from the rural parts of Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu.

It is a fascinating story told with absolute honesty and utmost sincerity.

Anything done with sincerity makes an impact and that seems to be the case with Siruvan Samuel as well. Though the dialect is a little difficult to understand, the story manages to strike a chord with audiences.

Synopsis

The story is set in the early 90s when Sachin Tendulkar and Ajay Jadeja were ruling the roost in Indian cricket.

Sam, short for Samuel (Ajidhan Thavasimuthu), is a young boy from a place nestled deep inside the Kanyakumari district.

Like most other families in the region, Sam’s family too struggles to make ends meet. His dad, a labourer in the plantation industry, has to slog for long hours to provide for his family of four which includes Sam’s mother and his younger sister.

Just like scores of other kids in the country then, young Sam is totally into cricket. But then, he has no resources to buy a real cricket bat.

The child knows that his father can’t afford a cricket bat. So, he begins to collect cricket cards in the hope of exchanging them for a cricket bat, as promised by the company issuing the cards.

Providing education to his young children after putting food on the table for his family itself is a Herculean task for Sam’s hardworking dad who views Sam’s interest in collecting cards with cricket stars on them as an unnecessary distraction.

He chides the poor child for wasting his hard-earned money on buying cards to pursue a useless sport.

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Sam wants to be a spin bowler but his love for the sport is ridiculed by everybody, including his sports teacher. Every elder in the village — from his mother to his teachers — wants him to focus on getting a good education and finding a job.

Sam has only one soul who understands his love for the sport and that is his close friend Rajesh (KG Vishnu), a tough-looking boy who often comes across as being unkempt.

Rajesh comes from a poor family as well. His father, an upright man but an alcoholic with a raging temper, works as a mason in the construction industry.

Both boys find solace in their friendship and look to find ways to play cricket.

However, one day, a rich kid from the neighbourhood — whose dad works abroad — brings a video game to the place where the boys play.

As luck would have it, the rich kid loses his video game and promptly assumes it must be Rajesh who must have stolen it.

Without inquiring into the allegations levelled by the rich kid, Rajesh is deemed a thief by the locals. How this allegation changes Rajesh’s life and the impact it has on Sam is what Siruvan Samuel is all about.

May 12 in Theatres….🤩#siruvansamuel #countrysidefilms #bookmyshow #newmovie #tamilcinema pic.twitter.com/o7hL5DDWux

— Countryside Films (@Countrysidefilm) May 10, 2023

Perfect casting

The film is praiseworthy for several reasons. Firstly, the casting is realistic. This means, there are no fair-skinned, attractive-looking people pretending to be from the region.

Those playing the parts seem to be really from the region. Their tanned bodies and hardened faces show that they are what they are portrayed to be.

Both Ajidhan Thavasimuthu as Sam and KG Vishnu as Rajesh deliver stellar performances. Both children are just apt for their roles.

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4 Reasons why to watch siruvan samuel in theatre….👇#siruvansamuel #countrysidefilms #newmovies #movies #TamilCinema #cinemanews #CinemaUpdate #2023cinema pic.twitter.com/lB4RPcnNBX

— Countryside Films (@Countrysidefilm) May 8, 2023

Well-executed

The film brings to light the prejudices people have. It shows how looks and wealth play an important role in forming perceptions about individuals.

Next, the film does not seem to have an agenda, or in other words, it does not seem to have been made to deliver a message.

Its sole motive seems to have been to recollect life and present it just as it was in the past. But while doing so, it also inadvertently manages to tell a beautiful story of a child’s self-examination and transformation.

The story is complemented well by some mellifluous music. Both music directors S Sam Edwin Manohar and J Stanley John have done a mighty fine job.

Cinematographer V Sivananth Gandhi’s visuals capture the pristine beauty of the flourishing habitat.

Verdict

If you are looking for a simple, meaningful film that is rooted in realism, Siruvan Samuel is bound to win your hearts.

(Views expressed are personal.)