If one tried to slot debutante producer-director-hero Paarthi’s Vingyani into a particular genre, it would be a difficult task. While at one level, it is a crime investigation, at another, it’s a tale about a scientist’s effort to genetically evolve a new kind of paddy that would solve food problem in the country. In the middle of the movie, there is a flash-cut to an episode of an ancient Indian scientist and his legacy. Commercial elements have been deliberatly included — like Vivek’s comic antics, which run almost throughout the narration. There are too many songs that mar the pace of the movie. Shifting through different moods and emotions, the narration doesn’t sustain one particular feel or tone for long. The film opens with the murder of Jennifer, secretary of reputed scientist Ramakrishnan (Paarthi). Ramakrishnan is sure that his wife Kaveri (Meera Jasmine), who is absconding, has committed the murder. She had suspected him of having an affair with Jennifer and had confronted him many times. The film, which is Jasmine’s first Tamil release post marriage, offers no memorable moments for her. Paarthi, as the scientist, gives an adequate performance. The opening scene sets the tone for a thriller. While the police try to find out the killer, the narration goes into the flashback of events, which explains how the scientist got married to Kaveri. The film traverses through stories of a holy man and an ancient legacy, which seems a little disconnected.
There is a flashback within a flashback. Each episode seems disjointed from the whole, with no smooth flow in the narration. The movie is a novel plot, but marred by amateur treatment. The part in which the true identity of the killer is unveiled, has not been written or enacted well. When viewed as a separate entity, Vivek’s comic antics though at times are amusing, seem out of place in a film that tries to depict a serious issue.
The plot had the potential to turn into an engaging entertainer. But the screenplay lacks focus. At the most, the film can be considered as a debutante’s ambitious effort to make a film different from the routine ones.