CAST: Ajith, Shruti Haasan, Lakshmi Menon, Kabir
DIRECTION: Sirutthai Siva
RATING: Two stars
The Ajith starrer Diwali blockbuster Vedalam largely depends on the mass appeal and star power of the actor with a script sans solid content and logic and just tailor-made by for him. Though the story travels in predictable lines, it has high-octane stunt sequences, bro-sis sentiment, and loads of punch lines, hit songs to satisfy the mass audiences.
The movie begins with a scene that is very similar in tone to 10 Endrathukulla – probably owing to the same villain played by Rahul Dev. The troubles begin right here: we are introduced to a criminal who feels more like a poseur than a mastermind. His mannerisms are pretentious without any trace of irony or self-acknowledgment. It’s enough to know that his powers are derived from a source and that this source will not deplete anytime soon. Then we move on to Kolkatta where we are introduced to Ganesh (Ajith) – a cab driver and seemingly know-nothing simpleton. He has a sister Tamizh (Lakshmi Menon) who studies in the fine arts college and she is his life’s treasure: a love that is platonic and someone whom he guards with the ferocity of a lion. But it’s rather evident soon enough that Ganesh is no busybody: he is a narcissistic vulture with an eye for revenge on Rahul Dev and his cohorts. The plot builds up to this point during the first half and the 2nd portion reveals the backstory behind this retribution and the reasons as to why Ganesh who is Vedalam in the past has such peculiar behaviors.
Ajith is in his full form and plays both good and the bad, speaks punch dialogues, fights ferociously, shakes his legs for mass numbers including the much-hyped Aaluma Dolumaa number. Lakshmi Menon does her part well, although it is Ajith who hogs the limelight in sentiment scenes. One wonders why Shruti Haasan picks up this kind of silly roles, which hardly has any substance in it. Comedy by Soori, Kovai Sarala, Vidyuleka, Bala Saravanan and Swaminathan hardly evoke laughter. While the first half has been packaged well, the flashback portions post interval doesn’t convey what was intended. Anirudh’s BGM at times annoy your aural nerves. Vetri’s cinematography with fresh angles and colorful visuals adds value to the movie. All said and done, Vedalam is strictly for Thala Ajith fans.
