VALIMAI (2022)

Critic No. 267

Director: H. Vinoth

Written by: H. Vinoth

Produced by: Zee Studios, Bayview Projects LLP

Casts:  Ajith Kumar, Kartikeya Gummakonda, Huma Qureshi, Gurbani Judge, Sumithra, Raj Ayyappa

Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja (songs), Ghibran (score)

Language: Tamil

Genre: Action / Crime / Thriller

SYNOPSIS: 

Arjun (Ajith Kumar), a police officer, sets out on a mission to hunt down a group of violent bikers after they're involved in a theft and murder.

REVIEW:

With Nerkonda Parvai (2019), H.Vinoth proved that big heroes have the power to bring out important messages as such to a big crowd and paved the way for more stars to choose such films. Jai Bhim (2021) was another example of how a big hero makes small films to reach the masses with relevant messages. However, Valimai was marketed as more of a commercial flick in contrast to the duo’s previous outing and the 3 years wait finally ends here. We also know how the team staggered their production over the span of 3 years which also resulted in some continuity issues which I will touch on later in my review. 

H Vinoth's kick starts the film with a series of chain-snatching incidents and smuggling committed by masked men on rapidly ridden bikes in Chennai. The police are clueless. In an internal monologue, the police commissioner (Selva) wishes for a super cop to prevent such crimes. The film then cuts to Madurai, where a temple procession is underway. In the next scene we are introduced to ACP Arjun (Ajith Kumar), the film’s protagonist, whose introduction is intercut with scenes from the procession. The scene almost parallels God who is held up high, we see this character rising up from the depths. Definitely a tailor made introduction scene for fan service. If it had appeared in Siva’s film, I would not have cared but the film I was watching is from a guy who came into cinema as a path breaking, intelligent writer. As I watched the scene, my mind was struggling with an internal conflict whether to celebrate the scene or to wonder, “Is this the real H.Vinoth we know?”

Arjun is posted to Chennai and starts going after the leads with the help of his family friend and police officer, Sophia (Huma Qureshi). Gradually, the gang's mastermind (Kartikeya Gummakonda) realizes that the cop is on to him, and things turn into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game, in which Arjun's family become pawns. Can Arjun save both his family and the city from this dangerous criminal?

The research on bike cult gangs is impressive as usual from H.Vinoth who had previously given us a detailed cop flick, Theeran Adhigaram Ondru (2017) with Karthi. However, the way ACP Arjun cracks half the case during a car ride with Sophia feels too convenient and superhero-ish. This convenient cracking follows through the film at many parts. The messages and quotes that are glaring in various walls whenever an emotional beat arrives feel painstakingly forced. Another main problem with the film is the surface level emotions that never gels with the main action of the film. 

The reason for this is how Vinoth treats the sub plot and characters in a very superficial, melodramatic way. There are tons of secondary characters  — loving mother (Sumithra), drunkard brother (Achyuth Kumar), supportive colleague (Huma Qureshi), lame stock evil police officers, (GM Sundar and Dinesh Prabhakar), tattoo-sporting, Goth-like villain's girlfriend (Bani J). None of these characters stick to us. The arc of Arjun’s dejected brother, Kutty (Raj Ayyappan) who goes rogue that importantly drives the plot in the second half, isn't well built as well and can be predicted miles away. 

With due respect, the casting of Sumithra (who has done tons of melodramatic mother roles in the 80s and 90s) with voice dub of a serial artiste, might also have contributed to the dated feeling we get whenever we see the family portions. Therefore, by the time the film hits the climax, the stakes don't matter to the audience. I also felt that given that some of the shots in the trailer are missing from the final cut, the content might have been more suited for a series rather than a film. With so many characters and subplots, if the idea had been a series, maybe Vinoth might have flashed out more details. But that is just a hunch and the final product is what we can consume.

Vinoth compensates with detailed, exhilarating action scenes choreographed by Dhilip Subbrayan which are so nuanced and realistic as well. Be it the bike chase in the pre-interval portion or the chase involving a bus, a truck and many bikers in the second half, will definitely move you to the edge of your seats. The bike scenes are detailed to an extent that even when one biker goes down, others who are traveling in jet speed react to that and give out realistic head directions to acknowledge. Every time we get a stunning action scene, it gives us this feeling that there is more to come. Which is why, even at 180-minutes long, Valimai feels like a great set-up for something big. This keeps us going, thanks to Nirav Shah’s exciting angles and Ghibran’s ardeline pumping score. Though the film ends with a relevant message that is well delivered by Ajith and scripted by Vinoth, due to the weak set up, we can’t fully grasp the intended emotions. 

Ajith Kumar is terrific as usual in risky, life threatening stunt sequences which have done 90 percent of them at the age of 50. He has different looks at various scenes which shows the how long the film was in production. His dedication definitely deserved a better story. Huma Qureshi gets a meaty role with a nicely placed fight scene where she single handedly takes on a couple of bikers with zest. In a time where ladies are always shown as people who get saved by the men in star driven Indian films, it is relieving to see such a welcoming gesture, again in Vinoth-Ajith duo’s film. Karthigeya looks apt as the leader of Satan Slaves and carries the role with much needed menace.

That said, Valimai is no Vivegam (2017) (Ajith’s previous action blunder). In this film, we get manay flashes of brilliance from Vinoth and if only the film had focused more on the action and mystery without the dated melodrama, Valimai would have been a milestone action film in Indian cinema. But the film affirms us that Vinoth could perhaps be the most promising Indian filmmaker who knows how to write, choreograph and execute action sequences with a larger vision and purpose. Hopefully, in their (Vinoth-Ajith) next outing that is in pre-production, these major narrative issues do not stand in our way to experience the true potential of the filmmaker. 

VERDICT:

‘Valimai’ is an overlong action flick with unwanted melodrama, that is heavily lifted by Ajith Kumar’s dedicated performance, Ghibran’s striking score and nuanced, benchmark action stunt sequences. 

CELLULOID METER- 3/5: