Nov 23, 2008 01:58 PM
10706 Views
(Updated Nov 24, 2008 06:09 PM)
I watched Vaaranam Aayiram and was pleasantly surprised. Had no plans to write a review but it grew on me and forced me to! Given Gautham Menon’s( Its Gautham Vasudev Menon now – More on this later) penchant for violence /loud and lewd language, this is a refined effort with a lot of subtle emotions. Unfortunately it has to be commercially packaged with the usual dose of a Gaana Song, violence, fights……the works.
What makes it work is that these distractions do not take the mind away from the seed of the story – that of the relationship between Father/Son and the progression of a typical Family over time. Surya as Father and Surya as the son. The Father is a typical 60s/70s Father – Regular Guy with a Zest for Life; One who finds pleasures in the mundane, a Middle Class Family( With unpaid Loans from a Money Lender, Jewelery Pledged as well as an unfinished house), a person who loves his Wife(Simran), Son(Surya) and Daughter(Deepa Narendran) but is still robustly optimistic and easy going, a smoker who loves the extra peg too.
Surya Jr. has a typical teenager’s childhood infatuations, gets bashed up by the neighbourhood bully etc etc The highlight of the Film is undoubtedly his unabashed wooing of a Brilliant and ambitious Student, Sameera Reddy(Meghna), who after initially giving him a lecture does leave a ghost of an opportunity which the young Surya pursues enthusiastically even following her to the USA. This again rings a bell in most of us. All of us have had these crushes including yours truly! Events unfold and one witnesses the gradual tempering, mellowing and the eventual metamorphosis of an adolescent and later the drug-addicted Surya into a supremely fit, upright and committed Officer who is mature in Love and becomes the proud Torchbearer of the Family.
What makes this special is there is no attempt made to hide the frailties and vices of both Father and Son. They are not Super-Heroes. They suffer and they grow. The Father is unable to pay off his debts, is unable to recite a bedtime story to his Grandson because of his surgery for Cancer, is unable to quit Smoking till the end. The Son has his share of failures. He fails to complete his Engineering degree, gets smashed by the bully, hits the bottle and becomes a drug addict when he loses his first true love etc etc Yet they persevere against the odds. They win some and they lose some.
The success of the story is the clear characterisation Gautham has in HIS mind. He knows his characters inside out. I would not be surprised if the Senior Surya is based on Gautham’s own Dad. No prizes for guessing why Gautham Menon now calls himself Gautham Vasudev Menon. It is also interesting that he went back to his Alma Mater - Mookambika College of Engineering to shoot some segments. Simran as the Mother is grace personified. A powerful restrained performance from the talented actress. Reminded me so much of Jaya Bachchan. Sameera Reddy is HOTTT! She looks absolutely ravishing! It would have been nice if the Director had utilized her dancing skills better. This movie has resurrected her floundering career. IMHO She should concentrate on Tamil and Telugu movies. I wonder if they had a tough time shooting scenes of Surya and Sameera together given the obvious height differences! Divya Spandana does not have much to emote as the friend of Surya's Sister who has always been in Love and finally musters up the courage to propose and eventually marry him. But Its Surya all the way. Fantastic performance as both Father and son. Subtle differences in body language / mannerisms as well as attention to detail a la Kamal Haasan work like a charm and produce the desired effect.
Are there any negatives? A few. As stated earlier, the crass attempts to appeal to the masses stands out. If this had been avoided, the film’s length could have been curtailed. But then it would have become a classic that flopped. So one should give the Director the benefit of doubt. I hope he curtails his proclivity to show dismembered body parts. Fortunately these is in just one scene unlike Vettaiyadu Villaiaadu. Its gory and nauseating.
I wonder why there is an obsession to display a six-pack. I wonder if it is really necessary. Shah Rukh started it with Om Shanti Om and everyone else is on an ego trip now. This is as uninspiring as Kareena’s Size Zero. It sends the wrong signals. One needs to be fit but not make it a narcissistic obsession. As the great Stallone said, “If you cant have a six-pack, you drink a six-pack”!
The music needs a special mention. Harris Jayaraj has done a neat job. While most of the songs are hummable, there is nothing path-breaking about them. I think this is deliberate. The young Surya is a Guitar player - That explains the extensive usage of Guitars as well as the simple chords. “Mundhinam Parthen” reminds one of George Michael’s Faith. But then all of us in the 80s were inspired by George Michael / Wham, Madonna and Michael Jackson! “Adiye Kolludhey” is peppy. "Oh Shanti Shanti" has a soft., blues feel to it. The rest are routine fare. “Yethi Yethi” is juvenile. “Ava Yenna Thedi Vandha Anjalai” is the Gaana song which is mediocre.
Watch Vaaranam Aayiram to watch a Thousand Orchids bloom for some of you - It may help you find new meaning in inter-personal relationships.
