‘Saramsha’ movie review: Surya Vasishta presents a gentle, interesting take on life and ambitions

Surya Vasishta directs and stars alongside Sruthi Hariharan and Deepak Subramanya in a film that ruminates about one’s identity and end goal in a philosophical tone

In a brilliant scene in Surya Vasishta’s Saramsha (Summary), a publisher, Raksha (Shweta Gupta), tells the protagonist, Tejas (Deepak Subramanya), about how she wants people to see her as a Kannadiga, even if she doesn’t speak the language fluently. “But psychologically, culturally... this (Karnataka) is my home. It (Kannada) is my literature and identity. Anywhere else, I will feel out of place,” she says.

A Bengaluru Kannadiga, who is well aware of Kannada’s legacy, yet finds it comfortable thinking in English, battles with the same identity crisis. The film, too, is about who you are and who people see you as, and has several gentle moments that make you smile. 

For instance, the scene where Tejas talks to his parents through a video call is another small gem. As soon as the conversation is over, he removes the picture of his parents as his laptop wallpaper and replaces it with that of the legendary Kannada poet Kuvempu. 

The name Tejas is derived from Poornachandra Tejaswi, the renowned writer and son of Kuvempu. Apart from the subtle tribute to two literary greats, the scene reflects Tejas’ mental state. With no support for his writing dreams from his parents, Tejas seeks inspiration from the greats he grew up reading.

Tejas’ father wants his son to follow his path and become a chartered accountant. But Tejas loves writing, the world of imagination, and he is a misfit for jobs that require rational thinking and truth. 

One day, Tejas opens the bathroom door and walks into another world, where he meets Abhay (Surya Vasishta) and Maya (Sruthi Hariharan), the characters of the story he is writing. While Abhay always dreams of the future, Maya lives for today. Meeting the two contrasting personalities shapes Tejas’ character and thinking. 

Saramsha, with its unflashy filmmaking and minimalist background score, is a moody film. Hence, the film’s philosophical tone works for the most part. It shows the lives of interesting yet imperfect people with different life experiences. So there is ample drama, with dialogues (from Vasishta and Gantumoote director Roopa Rao) that sound relatable.