Saavi review: A tight lock-and-key crime thriller

Director R Subramanian’s Saavi (Key) is a neat, clean crime thriller that manages to keep audiences engaged from start to finish.

The film, which features mostly newcomers and relatively small-time actors, has an interesting story told in a reasonably entertaining way.

Sarangan (Prakash Chandra), a locksmith, lives a dignified life with his family that includes his mother, father, brother, sister-in-law and a friend, who is more like a brother. He also has a set of close friends, one of which is a cop known for his sincerity and straightforwardness.

When it comes to work, Sarangan adheres to a hard and fast rule — he will open only those locks that are brought to his shop and will not accompany customers to their homes for the job. This is to ensure that his services are not misused by thieves looking to rob houses and offices.

Late one night, he gets a call from his close friend, on whom Sarangan has absolute faith. The friend asks Sarangan to come to a distant relative's house in the town claiming that the family of four (including two women) have lost their key and are stranded on streets in the dead of the night. He needs Sarangan to unlock the house.

Although, Sarangan is not very comfortable with the task, he agrees to help. However, the next day he discovers that the distant relatives were, in fact, thieves who have looted the house, taking away the money that the real owner of the house had amassed by selling his land. 

Unable to come to terms with the loss of his hard-earned money, the owner of the house dies and Sarangan is overcome by guilt. He decides to catch the criminals and bring the money back to where it belongs.

However, little does the locksmith know that the problem is not as simple as it looks.

All the actors, despite being new comers, have played their parts well. The film feels realistic and the romantic scenes between Sarangan and Alagammal (Sunu Lakshmi) are enjoyable. Both actors show talent and have a long way ahead. The film also has its share of funny moments through the character of Algammal’s dad, an alcoholic.

The script is just about right, without any exaggeration whatsoever. Cinematography is applause worthy, and the music, while not extraordinary, works just fine.

The editing works in the favour of the film. Suresh Urs has managed to keep the sequences crisp and interesting, with no unnecessary or redundant scenes.

On the whole, this key could well open the gates of fame and fortune to a number of newcomers who have worked in the film.