Among the new set of actors, Sooraj Pancholi is one of the promising ones. Although he is just one film old, Sooraj has made a decent fanbase, and has been appreciated for his performance in his first film, Hero, which starred Athiya Shetty in the lead role. After a four year long wait, he is back again with a new film titled Satellite Shankar, where he plays the titular role of an army man, who has the power to bring smile to every one's face and comfort to everyone around him.
Shankar is an Indian Army soldier. During a cross firing, he gets hurt, but after being appreciated for his duty, he successfully gets off for one week. He chooses to visit his home in Pollachi to meet his mom and grand mother, and also help her with the eye surgery. However, this is allowed only on one condition where he is asked to report to his base camp on the date assigned. Unfortunately, his fellow friends ask him to visit their hometown on the way and meet their families, which he does, but Shankar also comes across many events where he invests his time. Owing to this, would he reach home on time? Well, that is what the film revolves about.
One might wonder why Shankar is is called 'Satellite Shankar,' but the makers ensure that this is answered early in the movie, as he is often seen using a device which transport people into the world they want to be in. Although the device plays an important role, Shankar does this as a gesture as he believes that satellites are within us, and we need to connect ourselves to that, to find happiness in any situation we are in. This approach makes his popular in the battalion and eventually among the people too.
To be honest, the film will not entertain you, because of poor writing. However, Sooraj Pancholi gives his best and delivers a sincere role. Attimes he comes across as a soldier with a lot of enthusiasm, and you will be disturbed by that, especially because it get repetitive. But his honesty in the role comes across very well. He is jumping, dancing, fighting, etc., but maintains a calm, sweet expression and a smile throughout. Palomi Ghosh as a reporter cum video-blogger tries to deliver what she is asked to, but the poor writing makes her character irritating. Megha Akash, who plays Sooraj's love interest is the best. Her command over Tamil, Malayalam and the naive approach in speaking Hindi, adds the charm to the character. She is cute and one would instantly fall in love with her, just like Shankar did. Both of them share an adorable chemistry, which helps the second half of the film.
The disappoint aspect of the film is purely the writing as actors are not at fault. Characters are developed in a poor fashion, and it gets difficult for them to convince after a point. The social media approach in the film also gets annoying, as it becomes an integral part of the film. Shankar's week long holiday seems never ending, and one will wonder if he would ever reach home or not. There are times where your mind will automatically offer solution just to escalate or fasten the scene. The best part about the film is the aerial shots and the visuals of different parts of India.
While Satellite Shankar strives to take us through the lives of an army man and the sacrifices they make in their lives, to keep us safe, it fails to impress, because of the script. The message is quite clear, but the film gets overcooked, as it eventually gets to a cliche point, possibly leading to one getting annoyed. The makers have tried to evoke the love for the country in one's heart, but unfortunately one can only appreciate the effort, but not feel.
To sum it up, just like the character, 'Satellite Shankar' can make you happy, but not immerse you.
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