Sarfira REVIEW: Akshay Kumar remake soars high and inspires even higher

MUMBAI : Hindi cinema is no stranger to remakes, both official and unofficial, including carbon copies and rejigged ones, borrowing from the South, Hollywood, Korean, Chinese, French, or Italian cinema, you name it. And while some of these are genuinely good and very few are rarely better, usually the rejigged ones that take inspiration from the basic story line and then spin things around, the frame-to-frame reworks generally stink to high heaven despite being frame-to-frame reworks, simply by virtue of being unable to recapture the essence, feel, core dynamics, storytelling structure, and performances, which made the original what they are. In this scenario arrives Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, and Paresh Rawal's Sarfira, that defies all odds and works like a charm despite being a nigh frame-to-frame remake of Suriya modern Tamil classi, Soorarai Pottru, which had released directly on Amazon Prime merely 4 years ago.

Probably, the biggest reason Sarfira works so well is Director Sudha Kongara, who once again takes over helming and writing duties. Great performances notwithstanding from both of her leading men, she made the original what it was, and does so again with the remake, with her subtle changes mingling just as well while she goes on to tug at our heartstrings, feeling the trials, tribulations, and eventual triumph of her protagonist. This is writing and direction of the highest order.

Of course, none of it would've been possible sans the assistance of a very capable leading man. Akshay Kumar seamlessly fills Suruya's shoes while leaving his own footprint — no small feat given the standard he had to live up to. Radhika Madan, Prakash Belawadi, and the rest of the cast are just as good while Paresh Rawal simply recreates his vile and classist character from the presence to the T.

Where Sarfira falters a tad bit from Soorarai Pottru is in its background score, songs, camerawork, and production design, with the latter two technical aspects befuddlingly being unable to capture the rawness, grit, and grime of the original. Minor complaints though as Sarfira carves its own impression as a very inspiring and emotional film both for those who have or haven't seen Soorarai Pottru.

4/5 stars