Until very recently we had Santhanam gracing the silver screen almost every Friday accompanying every other hero of the Tinseltown. The frequency has gone down of late and may be Vallavanukku Pullum Aayutham (VPA) was the reason. Probably Santhanam realized that playing a solo lead is no joke and wanted to focus all his attention on VPA. A remake of Rajamouli's successful Maryada Ramana (2010) will the Tamil version recreate the success of the original?

Plot:

It has been almost 4 years since the Telugu version released and you might feel that it is too long a period these days when audience's preferences keep changing rapidly. But the basic plot itself is from  'Our Hospitality' the silent comedy which released as early as 1923!  An unassuming youngster returns to his native village to make money by selling off a property that he owns. But there is a 27 year old feud that is waiting for his return to seek revenge by shedding his blood. To watch how our hero overcomes these odds you will have to catch VPA on the big screen.

Cast:

You cannot really term VPA as Santhanam's graduation to hero material. He played crucial parts in Arai En 305il Kadavul and KLTA. But VPA is a litmus test as he is the solo lead and has to do certain things a typical hero of a potboiler would do. He is his usual self in the light hearted scenes. But his consciousness reflects on screen in some emotional sequences. Nagineedu who reprises his role from the original has a strong screen presence. The heroine and the other supporting cast are all right with no one in particular catching our attention.

Crew:

The overall look and feel about the film could have definitely been better. A streak of amateurishness is visible throughout. The CG work towards the climax is so glaringly puerile. The songs do not help the cause either. They give you the feel of watching a dubbed film.

A remake is no guarantee for success. With Santhanam in the lead you expect to have your share of laughs. Genuine laughter is few and far between in VPA. The train episode in the first half featuring Rajakumaran and his buffoonery falls flat. There is a scene in the film where Santhanam mocks at a joke from a costar saying that he laughed only to avoid hurting him. The state of the audience is also similar at many places in the film. Srinath could have done so much better with the placement of the songs. The opening song in particular sticks out sorely. The shoddy climax plays a huge spoilsport and is unconvincing. It is a throwback to almost two decades. For a film like VPA to click, it is the treatment and packaging that matters. This is where it falls short with an overall amateurish feel about it. Despite these shortcomings the film is not a total letdown thanks to the decent pace it maintains throughout and some comical moments.


Bottomline:

Contrary to the title, this is a film that does not make optimum use of its strengths.

 

Verdict:

Rating:2.25/5