The absurdity of parallel universes colliding makes for an amusing plot. In literature, this absurdity is left to the imagination of the reader. But bringing such concepts to screen can prove to be challenging. That’s probably one of the reasons ‘Saramsha’ falls flat in its narrative.
Tejas (Deepak Subramanya), a brooding CA, is an aspiring writer. But he doesn’t get enough support from his parents and ends up taking a day job at a financial firm. He has no friends and is disconnected from reality. One day, he walks into another world through his bathroom door and meets people who don’t just become characters in his story but help him get out of his restricted space and mind.
Surya Vashistta’s attempt at experimenting with surrealism and magical realism is a first in Kannada cinema. While the visuals are exhilarating, perhaps taking you back to a book you’ve read long ago, the experience gets diluted with too many dialogues which can at times come across as preachy.
Deepak Subramanya’s compelling performance will make you feel empathetic towards Tejas’s character. But Surya Vashistta as Abhay is boring, with dialogues straight out of a Ted Talk. Sruthi Hariharan brightens the screen with her presence as Maya.
When Tejas goes back to the past to alter circumstances, I was reminded of the ‘Dragon Ball Z’ manga series. A character named Future Trunks travels to the past on a time machine to alter it and change his future. But he soon realises that the future of this altered past unfolds in a different universe, and there would be no change in his current future. In ‘Saramsha’ as well, Tejas learns that the past cannot be changed. This part of the film especially amused me.
I only wish the filmmaker included more subtle elements of surrealism to make it more intriguing.
Published 16 February 2024, 23:44 IST