The debut directorial venture of cinematographer Velraj (of films like ‘Aadukalam’), the film deals with the issue of unemployment. It’s Dhanush’s 25th film and his home production. The actor plays Raghuvaran, an unemployed graduate in search of a job. Dhanush is a delight to watch in the earlier part with his natural flair for handling light hearted scenes. It’s in the second half that he loses ground where the script turns predictable and tries to make a larger-than-life hero out of his character.
The first half is racy and engaging. Raghuvaran (Dhanush) unemployed, is a bane to his father, and constantly compared to his younger brother (Hrishikesh) who has a lucrative job. His new neighbour Shalini develops a soft corner for him and understands his frustrations. The scenes of interaction among the family members have a natural flow. The director has managed to keep the happenings interesting here. Seasoned actors Saranya and Samuthirakani as Dhanush’s parents lend credence to their roles. Amala Paul sporting a simple girl-next-door look has not been strained much by way of performance.
It’s in the second half that the screenplay totters and the pace slackens. It turns predictable and cliche-ridden. Raghuvaran finally manages to get a job with a construction company. The scenes are very simplistic here. The director has got the facts and figures on unemployment right, the dialogue meaningful. It’s the scenes of challenges at the construction site and of how Raghuvaran tackles them that could have been handled in a more mature way. Anita (Surabhi cutting a pretty picture) enters his life, an unwanted ‘organ-donation’ link forced in. Vivekh’s late entry into the story provides some comic relief.
The stronger the villain, the greater would be the hero’s image when he would finally get to destroy him. But here Arun (Amitash), the spoiled brat of a tycoon and a rival in the construction business, seems more like a cardboard villain. A handsome looker but a diffident performer, he hardly is a villain worthy to take on! Logic and conviction is set aside as the script goes all out to favour the hero. Raghuvaran’s bashing up a dozen armed rowdies time and again is far from convincing, he cutting a pathetic figure in his shirt-off scene in the final fight. The director seems to have made a lot of compromises to showcase Dhanush as a larger than life hero in the second half.
Anirudh’s songs are youthful and catchy, his background score complementing the feel. The editing could have been crisper and slicker in the second half. With it’s racy first half and a predictable second half, ‘VIP’ is an average entertainer.