Khadar Kumar’s much-anticipated Veeram finally hit the screens this past week. The first-time director sticks to a safe template of an age-old family drama with over-the-top action designed to elevate the hero’s star status.
Veeram begins with Sadashiva (Achyuth), his wife Saraswathi (Shruthi), and her two brothers Narasimha and Veeru (Prajwal Devaraj), who are considered their children. However, circumstances lead to a hot-headed Narasimha being involved in a crime.
A livid Saraswathi throws him out of the house and trains all her focus on her younger brother, Veeru. Unfortunately, Veeru, who is attending a campus interview, ends up at the police station along with his brother. The two are booked for the murder of Deva (Raja Belawadi), a rowdy who is involved in the market mafia. Then, Deva’s son, Jeda (Deepak), kills Narasimha. Will Veeru go against his sister, and take revenge for his brother’s death? Will he succeed in making his sister forgive him? These form the rest of the film.
With sibling sentiments being the central theme, Khadar Kumar presents us with a done-and-dusted family drama. The film, which elevates Prajwal Devaraj as a mass hero, however, comes with a predictable screenplay, and a host of villains. The film’s romantic element comes in the form of Rachita Ram, who plays Veeru’s college friend and is his strong emotional support.
The director has tried to tackle important subjects but the making is cliched and formulaic. Prajwal Devaraj as Veeru has a tattoo of Sahasimha inked on his right wrist to show his love for his sister, who is a big fan of Vishnuvardhan. The tattoo comes into the picture during the mass moments, especially a major action sequence.
Veeram turns out to be a positive push for Prajwal Devaraj, who has enjoyed playing this mass role. Individually, the actor, who had worked for this character with a new hairstyle, and has worked out his body language.
Shruti’s role brings that emotional connection among siblings and all the sentiment is brought through her. Kitty makes a strong presence in limited screentime, and is well supported by actor Achyuth Kumar.
Veeram falls into the slew of films, which brings in a dozen of villains to face the hero, and Deepak as an antagonist takes the lead. There is nothing much to highlight about Rachita Ram’s role, except that she plays a love interest, and her presence is felt in a few sequences and a song. With Giri Shivanna in the picture, people expected some comical relief, but he too turned out to be part of the serious scenes.
Anoop Seelin has come up with a couple of good melodies, and has delivered a convincing BGM score. This film is strictly for those, who wanted to see Prajwal Devaraj in a mass hero avatar, and for those who are still open to watching and enjoying commercial entertainers.
Veeram
Director: Khadar Kumar
Cast: Prajwal Devaraj, Kitty, Shruti, Achyuth Kumar, Rachita Ram, and Deepak
Rating: 2.5/5