Sarvam Thaala Mayam (2019)

[*** 1/2 stars/ 5 ] 

If you are a passionate, aspiring musician or music lover, you will identify with the struggles of the short-tempered but extremely talented musician Peter Johnson (G.V. Prakash Kumar). 

Peter is a young lower middle-class mridangam* maker's son, a aimless loafer who bunks an important college exam to make it for a favourite movie star's new release, chases a pretty nurse (Aparna Balamurali), drinks and gets into random street fights.

(*percussion instrument, usually played as an ally to the vocals in carnatic music)   

Rhythm of life 
Life changes for Peter when he chances on mridangam legend Vembhu Iyer (Nedumudi Venu) at a concert and requests the tradition-bound maestro to teach him. The rest of the movie is about Peter's against the tide struggle to beat caste-based hurdles, jealousy, while on a quest to find himself. 

Director Rajiv Menon and music director A.R. Rahman (incidentally G.V. Prakash's uncle) lift a predictable underdog story to a telling dialogue on inclusiveness, how music ('isaii' in Tamil) is for all.

Exceptional music, performances 
Veteran actor Nedumudi Venu is particularly exceptional as the unbending traditionalist, as is Vineeth, infusing life into a predictable negative shade. 

G.V. Prakash is good, if not exceptional as Peter, as is Aparna. Actors Kumaravel and Aadhira Pandilakshmi as Peter's parents are probably the most believable characters here.  

Though Menon plays on familiar beats and cliches that weigh down the energetic narration, his love and keen understanding of music is astounding. The visuals, art direction are top grade, and there are many high points. I particularly love the climatic reality show face-off and the concluding student-teacher scene. 

Sarvam Thaala Mayam (Rhythm is everywhere) is a uplifting musical drama that deserves a larger audience. You needn't know Tamil to appreciate the superb Indian classical-based A.R. Rahman soundtrack.

Recommended
If you liked Sarvam Thaala Mayam, watch Rajiv Menon's Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), an entertaining Tamil romantic drama starring Aishwarya Rai, Tabu, Mammootty and Ajith, inspired by Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, embedded with amazing A.R. Rahman 'isaii.'

Afterword
Incidentally, Sargam (1992) is a good Malayalam musical drama on carnatic music starring two actors from the Sarvam Thaala Mayam cast, a young Vineeth as a gifted teenage singer,  Nedumudi Venu as his strict music teaching father and a scene-stealing Manoj  K. Jayan as the unpredictable, fragile friend.