Scene review: Suriya’s cop wants out as his sight fades

Jithu Madhavan’s first two films, Romancham and Aavesham, were full of odd people, absurd moments and comedy with a sudden dark edge. His Tamil debut Scene brings the same spirit to a serial-killer story, and it cares more about the strange characters around the case than the case itself.

A cop who wants out

Suriya plays Inbaraj, a Crime Branch officer who has submitted his resignation five times. His superior Stephen, played by Lal, refuses to accept it and keeps assigning him important cases. Inbaraj is meticulous to a fault, making colleagues go over forensic reports again and again. The reason he wants to leave is simple: his eyesight is deteriorating, which makes investigating harder by the day.

When a fresh string of murders resembles the work of a perfume killer Inbaraj had caught earlier, he is pulled back in. The new antagonist is Eeswaran, played by Naslen, a ruthless killer whose casual, harmless manner makes him genuinely unsettling. The central tension is not just catching a murderer; it is a cop losing his vision trying to stay ahead of a criminal who keeps adapting.

The people around the investigation

Nazriya Nazim’s Maya is Inbaraj’s house help and, as his sight worsens, effectively his eyes. But she is not just a helper. Maya has her own skills, vulnerabilities and childhood trauma, plus an emotional and romantic arc with Inbaraj. The chemistry between Suriya and Nazriya adds warmth, even if the romance could have been handled more smoothly.

The eccentricity extends to family. Inbaraj’s father is a forensic expert with extraordinary knowledge and memory problems, while his mother is a personality expert whose behavioural quirks create comic situations. Jithu uses these characters to build a strange world around the hero rather than to stall the story. The film also plays with Suriya’s screen legacy through affectionate callbacks, including a use of Ilaiyaraaja’s Thendral Vandhu from Avatharam.

What works and what wobbles

The film’s biggest asset is Suriya’s performance. Inbaraj lets him move away from the earnest, larger-than-life image that has defined several of his recent roles, and he leans into the character’s awkwardness, stubbornness and reckless streak. Naslen plays Eeswaran with the matter-of-fact confidence of someone doing an ordinary job, which makes the killings more disturbing. Nazriya brings energy and even gets action sequences of her own.

Where Scene stumbles is pacing. The first half is subdued, some comic detours interrupt the investigation, and Eeswaran’s plans become too predictable as the film progresses. Sushin Shyam’s score, Vineeth Augustian’s cinematography and Ajmal Sabu’s editing support the film’s shifting moods, but the narrative detours keep it from its full potential.

Should you watch it?

• Watch for: Suriya’s comic timing, Nazriya’s action beats and Naslen’s deadpan menace.
• Be ready for: a slow first half and a plot that is not tightly constructed.
• Skip if: you need a lean investigative thriller rather than a character-led crime comedy.

If you are open to a film that lives in its characters and has fun with Suriya’s image, Scene is a refreshing watch. That freedom for the star to play against type is the real draw.

Source: Filmfare