VAALU REVIEW

VAALU  (2015)

Director: Vijay Chandar

Casts: STR, Hansika, Santhanam, VTV Ganesh, Aditya
Music: S.Thaman
Language: Tamil
Genre: Romantic Comedy

‘Vaalu is not a film but an emotion’ says all STR fans. Initially touted to release on Deepavali 2012, Vaalu fell deep into tons of problems before seeing the light last Friday. STR will be keen to return to the big league of actors after three solid years of hiatus. With expectation and anticipation hitting the skies, will Vaalu deliver what it has promised?

Synopsis

Sharp (STR) a happy-go-lucky guy falls in love with Priya Mahalakshmi (Hansika). However he learns that she is engaged with a local businessman-don, Anbu (Aditya). Priya agrees to be Sharp’s friends. The rest of the film is about how Sharp tries to prevail in love and defeat Anbu, solely by his mind games and witty antics.

Story – Screenplay

Like it’s title, Vaalu is energetic, chirpy and loud. From the first frame it is established what kind of film the audience can expect for the next 2 hours or so. Rajini, Kamal, Ajith and Vijay will be present in the opening scene. How is that possible? Wait and watch.

The film doesn’t really take itself serious and same goes for the lead character. The film threads around the character, ‘Sharp’ and how he tries to woo his love. In process of it there are predictable scenes such as the heroine is already engaged and that too with a gangster. In the bigger picture, honestly Vaalu is yet another mash up of successful commercial films with clichéd romantic scenes, flying henchmen and foreign duet songs. In a time where young directors are experimenting new themes, it’s quite frustrating to watch a plot line like this. Capitalising and mentioning Ajith’s name is also becoming old for STR.

However, despite these hiccups, Vaalu stands out a little thanks to the witty dialogues and terrific combination of STR-Santhanam. Every scene is crafted very carefully to inject freshness in this old combo. The good thing is that it works very well for the carefree plot. Vaalu might have been ended up very mediocre if not for its unique and bold climax that justifies the very casual screenplay set up by the director.

Casting & Performance

It’s Simbhu’s show all the way. The actor’s strength of screen presence has been fully utilized by the director. The rapport can be seen in every single scene and even in songs. STR has done similar roles before but this time the same old scenes are handled maturely as well.

Santhanam scores really well with his comedic portions after some average flicks previously. A great comeback for the actor as he brings the roof down in every single scene he is present. VTV Ganesh also complements well with his usual antics. Aditya like mentioned in the film by STR, “A different villain which audience will appreciate”.

Hansika gets a good scope in the film, as she appears throughout the entire film contrary from the usual commercial film format. She does relatively well in her role as well.

However, the three-year phase is evident, as the actors look very different in shots that are even in the same scene.

Technicality

Sakthi Saravanan’s camera is simple and neat. Especially his use of bright colours in the songs and slow-mo shots in fight sequences are noteworthy. However, it comes as a shock to see some of the scenes are left in out of focus.

Thaman’s music is heavily commercialized but works very well for the film. All the songs stay in mind thanks to the great visuals and STR’s dancing as well. ‘Tharumaru’ is a definite treat for any fans across the generations. The entire art department and dance master Sandy must be credited for the interestingly pleasant song.

The only problem that Vaalu gets stuck into is its unrealistic stunt sequences that rather look ridiculous than entertaining. But the self-parody by the characters somehow saves the laughs giving us a relief that it’s indeed intended. But how confusing?

Many might have gone in with expecting a lot as the film is hitting the screens after three years from its announcement. However at the same time it doesn’t mean that it should carry the burden of the long awaited hype, as the three-year hype was a struggle rather than a phase to film. So hold your expectations because Vaalu is a simple, usual commercial film that might not be entirely progressive for the industry but engages enough to ring the box office.

Bottomline

There is nothing new about this ‘Vaalu’ but it has just enough to engage thanks to the well-written dialogues and fresh climax.

Verdict: Could have been more ‘Sharp’

Movie Rating:  3/5

Director’s crown – Vijay Chandar:  2.5/5