Film: ‘Veeramae Vaagai Soodum’ (releasing in theatres). Duration: 166 minutes.
Director: Thu Pa Saravanan. Cast: Vishal, Dimple Hayathi, Yogi Babu, Raveena Ravi, Marimuthu, Thulasi, Baburaj and Elango Kumaravel.
IANS Rating: ***
Thu Pa Saravanan’s ‘Veeramae Vaagai Soodum’ is a film that is hard to describe simply because it offers a mixed bag. It has sequences that genuinely thrill you, but then it also has phases that can really bore you. The film begins on a really slow note and then picks up pace only again to lose steam briefly before reaching a crescendo in the climax.
The story is a complex one as it looks to narrate three different plots, all of which eventually combine into one in the climax. The first plot revolves around Porus (Vishal), a youngster who is hoping to get into the police force very soon. Porus has a sister Dwaraka (Raveena Ravi), who is constantly troubled by a gangster, who keeps harassing her in the name of love.
When Dwaraka informs Porus about the harassment she’s been facing, a conflict breaks out between Porus and the roadside Romeo who also happens to be a gangster.
The second plot revolves around Parisutham (Elango Kumaravel), who is involved in a stand-off with the industrialist Nedunchezhian (Baburaj), over the latter’s factory. which Parisutham claims is polluting the environment.
Nedunchezhian, who heads a gang, is an unscrupulous don who has his eyes now set on politics.
The third plot revolves around Divya, a young woman preparing for competitive exams, who is being blackmailed for sexual favours by a bunch of well-to-do boys (they know well that their family’s wealth and connections can help them get away with almost anything).
Unable to take their threats any longer, Divya tries to commit suicide. She is rescued but that puts the boys in a spot of bother.
How all three plots converge and what happens in the end is what ‘Veeramae Vaagai Soodum’ is all about.
It is a difficult story to narrate, but director Saravanan seems to have done a reasonably good job of narrating it. Also, the film works because of its casting. Saravanan seems to have got the right actors for the right roles.
Raveena Ravi is ideal for the role of Dwaraka, as is George Maryan, who plays Divya’s father. The role of Porus seems to be tailor-made for Vishal and he seems to revel in it. Dimple Hayathi is perfect as Mythili. The chemistry between Vishal and Dimple works to a large extent and that again is a plus for the film.
After a point, the film’s story changes into a race between the hero and the villains. On the one hand, the hero tries desperately to look for clues to track the villains; they, on the other hand, try to dispose of any clues that may give their identities away to the hero. Each tries to put himself in the other’s shoes in a bid to outthink the opponent. This is highly enjoyable.
Now, coming to what doesn’t work. The film has some lengthy dialogues that are not only difficult to comprehend, but also are uncalled for. They have no relevance to the plot and are only used to bolster the image of the hero. What Saravanan must realise is that short lines are what pack a punch.
Next, the film is awfully long. What could have been told in a gripping manner within two hours is stretched to almost three as a result of certain sequences that add no value to the plot. A case in point would be the developments that take place when Dimple Hayathi calls Vishal to tell him that a prospective match for her has arrived at her home.
On the technical side, everyone seems to have delivered what was expected of them. Cameraman Kavin Raj does a decent job and Yuvan lifts the mood of the film with his background score.
In the end, ‘Veeramae Vaagai Soodum’ comes across as a reasonably good thriller, if you have the patience to sit through the boring parts.
–IANS