Sandakari Movie Review: A light-hearted entertainer with its share of fun

Sandakari is the Tamil remake of the 2012 Malayalam film My Boss. Starring Vimal and Shriya Saran, Sandakari was filmed in 2019 but remained unreleased for more than six years. Written and directed by Madhesh, the film combines romance, comedy, family emotions and workplace drama across London and Tamil Nadu. While the premise offers room for an enjoyable entertainer, the execution struggles to make the most of its potential.

Vimal plays an engineering graduate who has won a gold medal and developed an app of his own. Despite his qualifications, he takes up a job as an assistant to Shreya, a senior executive in a London-based company. Shreya is ambitious, short-tempered and demanding, making their professional relationship far from comfortable. Her situation becomes complicated when her London visa expires. She must return to India to apply for an extension, which could affect her career ambitions. This problem leads her to consider an unusual solution.

Shreya decides to pretend that she is married to Vimal to improve her chances of securing permanent residency in London. Vimal agrees to the arrangement, but he sets a condition of his own. Shreya must accompany him to Tamil Nadu and meet his parents. What she does not know is that Vimal has another plan in mind. He has joined hands with her professional rival and intends to use the situation against her. The story then develops into a series of misunderstandings, personal clashes and attempts to outsmart each other.

The basic premise creates several opportunities for humor and romantic situations. The contrast between Shreya’s corporate life in London and Vimal’s family background in Tamil Nadu also adds variety to the narrative. However, the film does not always use these elements effectively. The transition between the two settings feels functional rather than organic. Some of the comic situations work, but others lack the timing and freshness needed to make a lasting impression.

Vimal carries the film with his familiar screen presence. He brings an easy-going energy to the lighter scenes and handles the comic portions comfortably. However, the character does not offer him much room to explore a different performance style. Shriya Saran fits the role of a confident and short-tempered woman who is determined to protect her career. She brings the required attitude to the character, especially during the confrontational scenes. Unfortunately, the romantic portions do not establish enough chemistry between the lead pair. This makes their emotional journey less convincing than it should have been.

The supporting cast adds considerable value to the film. Prabhu and Uma Padmanabhan are effective as Vimal’s parents, while Punnagai Poo Geetha, Sathyan, KR Vijaya, Rekha, Dev Gill, Crane Manohar and Mahanadi Shankar contribute to the film’s humor and family portions. The shift between London and Tamil Nadu also gives the narrative some visual variety. Gurudev’s cinematography captures both settings neatly, while Amrish’s music and background score complement the film’s commercial tone.

The screenplay remains familiar because of the film’s source material, but the Tamil version manages to bring in enough family-oriented comedy and emotional moments to keep the proceedings accessible. At the same time, some developments require the audience to overlook the logic behind the characters and their circumstances. The central romance also does not always receive enough emotional depth, which makes certain portions feel more functional than genuinely engaging. A tighter screenplay could have made the conflict and relationship between the leads more effective.

Overall, Sandakari works reasonably well as a straightforward commercial entertainer that combines romance, comedy, workplace situations and family emotions. The London portions provide a different setting, while the Tamil Nadu sections offer more scope for humor and supporting performances. The familiar treatment, uneven chemistry and occasional logical gaps prevent the film from making a stronger impact, but there is enough entertainment in its commercial packaging to make it a decent one-time watch.

Sandakari Movie Rating: 3/5