'Genius' review: Cliched, but engaging in parts

Chennai

Fifteen minutes into the film, we see that Dinesh (Roshan) was a bright child who outshines his fellow students in school across subjects. However, pressurised by his dad to focus on studies, the boy becomes a loner and a bookworm. The story quickly moves to present day scenario, where he once again finds himself constantly being pushed by his boss to achieve targets. Towards the interval, the protagonist suffers a mental breakdown (Schizophrenia) and is taken to the hospital. The first half of the film establishes the premise, and the plot picks up a bit in the second half. Dinesh is on the road to recovery and the characters and performances improve. We are also introduced to the heroine Jasmine (Priya Lal) in the last half an hour of the film. Though she has a small role, she makes the most of her limited screen time. It’s not an easy role for a debutant, but Priya’s conveyed the character’s situation well through emotions more than dialogue, which is just as well, because the lip synch is quite tacky.However, it’s the climax that’s a let-down, and Susienthiran’s writing has some loose ends, leading to a predictable end, that makes the tight 100-minute film not just drag, but suspend logic in parts. (Spoiler alert ahead)Sending a patient suffering from Schizophrenia to a sex worker as part of the film’s climax is unbearable and makes one wonder what Susienthiran was thinking. Marketed for an audience below 18, which the main theme revolving around how children go through immense pressure because of their education, this part of the film didn’t go down too well. The title too does not connect with the hero of the film as he plays just another software professional.Aadukalam Naren, Meera Krishnan and Singampuli have played their part well. Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music, RB Gurudev’s visuals come to the film’s rescue. The artistes in the flashback have done a fair job. However, even Susienthiran’s message by quoting Bharathiyar poem in the end credits doesn’t quite justify the film’s plot.GeniusCast: Roshan, Priya Lal, Aadukalam Naren, Jayaprakash, Meera Krishnan, Singampuli and Erode MaheshDirector: SusienthiranMusic Director: Yuvan Shankar RajaSynopsis: A man has a breakdown at work. Turns out that he is dealing with childhood trauma of pressure that his father put on him, which is mirrored when he faces similar circumstances at the hands of his boss. Will he recover from the stress and depression or succumb to it?Stars: *****