‘Vaanam’ (Tamil)
Director: Krish
Cast : STR, Bharath, VTV Ganesh, Prakashraj, Santhanam, Saranya, Sonia Agarawal, Vega, Anushka, Jasmine .
We have already been introduced to movies with multiple narrations such as ‘Ayutha Ezhuthu’ (‘Yuva’ in Hindi) and ‘Saroja’, made on the effects of Hollywood movies, ‘Babel’ and ‘Crash’.
Next in the line is ‘Vaanam’. A remake of ‘Vedham’ (Telugu), which earned critical appreciation for it’s novelty in scripting and treatment, it has been directed by Krish, who scripted and directed the original version as well.
Five different stories progress in a splintered structure in ‘Vaanam’. Assorted characters from different places and backgrounds get interlocked through a chain of events, as the plot nears its climax.
There is ‘cable’ Raja (Simbu), a youth from the slums, who is in love with a girl from the mansion (debutant Jasmine). In an attempt to impress her by feigning what he is not, he gets into trouble. Raja is not the typical all-clean ‘heroic’ character, but has grey shades to him. Simbu essays the negativities of the character and its transformation at a later stage, with élan. His take-off on dad T Rajender in one of the scenes garners applause.
Bharath is an aspiring rockstar — a character far removed from his earlier ones. And the actor brings it to the fore with apt body language. It’s this character that undergoes a slight change in the Tamil version.
The third story is that of Saroja (Anushka), a sex worker who runs away with her transgender friend in search of greener pastures. Prakashraj plays Rahim, who comes to Chennai in search of his long lost younger brother, and becomes a victim of religious prejudice.
The story that’s difficult to connect with, is that of the poor and distressed mother (Saranya), who takes desperate measures to rescue her kidnapped son. This episode could have been crafted in a more natural way.
Providing some timely comic relief is Santhanam who peps up the scene as Simbu’s crony, and VTV Ganesh.
The director sustains the pace and interest in the first half, as he introduces various characters to us. It’s in the second half that the momentum slightly slackens. Some of the situations here seem contrived and forced into the narration, particularly, the distracting song numbers. But what keeps the interest alive is the suspense on how the stories would intersect in the climax. The finale is a touching one.
‘Vaanam’ works at different levels. It’s about individual perceptions coloured by prejudice that prevents one from seeing the real person. It’s also about ordinary people who rise to the occasion in times of crises, to help a fellow human in distress. It’s about human failings, self realisation and redemption. Relaying a warm message of compassion and hope, ‘Vaanam’, with it’s different take, is worth a watch.