Suli

Buden sahab lives in an idyllic hamlet atop a hill in the Western Ghats. He helps people in his village by getting them their necessities from the town down the hill, ably assisted by his speech-impaired daughter Shabana. Their peaceful lives get entrapped in a whirlpool of emotions. Do they come out unscathed? PH Vishwanath has chosen an interesting subject that drives home a powerful message. For this, he's chosen a talented cast and some breath-taking locations. This film is a treat to the eyes, only the pace seems a tad slow, even though the film is well under two hours in length. The film follows the life of Buden sahab, whose profession of ferrying products up and down the hill atop his donkeys is much like the e-commerce players today who deliver products to the doorstep. Buden sahab and his daughter Shabana, who is speech-impaired, are loved by all. Their only worry is that no one wants to marry their elder daughter. They find the ideal groom and just when they assume life is on a smooth track, they are trapped in a symbolic whirlpool of emotions. This film is technically sound, with some good background score by SP Venkatesh and pleasing cinematography by R Manjunath. The film's pace may be slow for the ones who are used to their dose of regular commercial fare. The story unfolds at its own pace, but when it does, one is drawn into the unfolding of the plot, courtesy the acting chops that veteran actor Srinath possesses, as well as the striking message the film has. The cast is led by Srinath, who essays an affable character that he fits into effortlessly. Pragathi as Shabana shows a lot of promise. Adhvithi and Ashvithi Shetty, as well as Neenasam Jayaram, add to the story with their performances. This film is a must watch for fans of Srinath, as well as those that like their share of films where there's a story with extra fluff and masala.