We are ushered into Veeranjaneyulu Viharayatra in an unusual, amusing manner—through the voiceover of a dead old man who gives a brief summary of his past before introducing us to the inner lives of his surviving family members: his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and two grandkids. At one point, the dead grandfather says about his son and the film’s protagonist, Nageswara, “He is not a villain.” And that’s a necessary disclaimer for the viewers, one realises.
It’s a regular middle-class family at the centre of Veeranjaneyulu Viharayatra—a blend of conservative beliefs and modernity where the kids struggle to make peace with the orthodox ways they are raised with. Such dualities understandably lead to a couple of lies and deceits. Everyone has their share of secrets: Sarayu (Priya Vadlamani) hides a major detail about her relationship with Tharun; Veeru (an effective Rag Mayur) hasn’t told anyone at home about quitting his job and beginning a start-up that, unfortunately, hasn’t picked up pace in two years.
The most refreshing element of this film is how it is Nageswara, the father figure, who carries the biggest secret of them all and goes to great, morally dubious lengths to keep those secrets intact. Unlike films where such weightage is handed over to the younger characters in the narrative, it’s a refreshing change to see the eldest member of the house hatch an elaborate, conniving travel plan to fulfil his own motives. When we first see Nageswara, he is an ageing, old-school teacher who is fired from his job for not being in sync with modern ways of teaching, which include good English-speaking skills. Despite his deceitful ways, Nageswara (played with great charm and likeability by Naresh) remains an empathetic figure.
In fact, all of these characters—Nageswara, Veeru and Sarayu—are flawed in one way or another, and that’s what makes them endearing and relatable. Veeru has a certain baggage and set of complexes that stop him from giving a fresh start to his friendship with Tarun or having a healthy relationship with his girlfriend Aishwarya (who is presented to us as a stereotypically controlling girlfriend but is thankfully lent some dignity in the latter portions).
Even though Nageswara and Veeru get the more author-backed roles, it’s Sarayu (played with an understated dignity by Priya Vadlamani), the daughter of the house, whose internal battles remain the most poignant. Sarayu loves, and is getting married to, Tharun, someone who belongs to a more affluent strata whose parents want a lavish wedding suited to their stature. Sarayu, however, is a young, independent woman of integrity and self-respect who struggles to make peace with the imbalance in her relationships.
It’s a classic old trope of orthodoxy versus modernity that’s at the base of this story, paving the way for the road-trip narrative in the first place. And yet, we never get a good look into Sarayu herself, which is why her decisions and confessions come as a complete surprise (Although it’s her big confession near the interval point that, while staying in spirit of the film’s tone, also truly takes us by surprise).
A lot of quirkiness arrives via the grandmother figure (an infectiously funny Sri Lakshmi), who is unfiltered in her tiny observations of everything happening around her. She also gets the funniest moment in the film as she decides to grab the driver’s seat, literally, during a moment of unlikely crisis. Anurag Palutla, the writer-director of Veeranjaneyulu Viharayatra, has the knack to create bittersweet moments that lie at the core of this road trip dramedy. That flair is intermittently visible throughout the narrative.
Yet, there is an inconsistency in the writing itself that keeps you at a distance. The film, despite its share of lull patches, keeps you engrossed well until the midpoint mark. But once the family goes back on the road after an adventurous experience at a local hospital, the film struggles to find a sweet spot between humour and emotion. When Veeru and Nageswara get into a major confrontation, with the latter lashing out at the former for failing at life itself, the moment leaves you strangely indifferent. Similarly, the much-expected change of heart for one of the principal characters in the last act falls flat because there isn’t enough groundwork laid to earn those epiphanies. There is also an underwhelmingly cliche reason given to the viewers for why Nageswara did the things he did.
Yet, it’s hard not to like this film, largely because of its warm, fuzzy quality and coterie of relatable characters that you eventually want to root for. Towards the end, when Nageswara and Veeru instinctively reach out for a hug, their body language is still pretty awkward; it’s evident that these two have never had such a relationship. Yet, they are trying, and that’s all that counts. Veeranjaneyulu Viharayatra is a bittersweet tale of these people who remain flawed yet lovable, because they continue to try against all odds.
Cast: Naresh, Rag Mayur, Priya Vadlamani, Sri Lakshmi, Harsha Vardhan
Director: Anurag Palutla
Rating: 3/5 stars