Saw Vaaranam Aayiram on Friday night at the AMC here in San Jose. Wonder of wonders, Surya the dynamic young hero of the movie graced the theatre with his presence. He held a Q and A session for about 45 mts and answered various questions about the movie, the 6 pack that he sported and his personal life as well. He said that revenues were poor at B and C centers due to poor understanding of the movie and that it was a decent hit at A centers. He said that he worked for 6 months to get his 6 pack and he was on a high protien and low carb diet. He did not recommend it. He siad that it was unnatural to sport a six pack. It was great seeing him. He had fabulous diction and was very personable. Quite short though.. 5'.6" tops. The theatre distributed mysore pak for all the patrons after he left...
On to the review...
A beautiful theme but from Gautam's mind to the silver screen, something gave in. The movie was quite impressionable but it did leave a void. Wasn't like Kaaka Kaaka which was so fulfilling in what it wanted to portray.
The players:
Surya - As Krishnan and as Surya has excelled. His diction, body language, eye movements and general acting is superb. He is the father Krishnan and has excellently portrayed a middle class South Indian male and as an older man is just perfect. He got the hand gestures to the coughing down pat. The younger Surya is just sensational. From the college student to the Army officer Surya had the acting right on cue. The ramrod straight walk of an army major was on target.
Simran - Malini. Beautiful, elegant and pitch perfect acting. Her stint as the college girl was bad and the director should have chosen a look alike for the character. She's just too old to play a college girl and her hips and hands and legs are all quite thick. Simran's acting was very natural and her gestures and mannerisms were right on target for a middle aged woman. The young Malini was not up to the mark but that is a fault of the director and not Simran herself..
Sameera Reddy - Meghana. Beautiful expressive eyes and good body language. She was a bit too tall for Surya. Sameera excels in her role and she is going to go places. Her train performance and sorority house performance was good. Her dancing needs improvement. I cant help but think that Asin would have been an impressive Meghana and would have foiled the young Surya perfectly. They've always had perfect chemisty.
Divya Spandana - Priya. She was good too. She suits Surya better than Sameera Reddy and her bus stop procalmation of love was quite natural. She looks lovely in her salwars but the saree made her look a little chubby.
Harris Jayaraj - The music director was not at his best but not his worst either. Adiye Kolluthe was a good number.
Gautam Menon - The real star of the movie. An excellent tribute to his dad as he says in his credits. The director had done a good job and chosen an unique theme for his movie and has proven his creativity once again. The dialogues were very good and natural but too much English. Just too much. Where the sister says "He's smiling Ma!" at the dying father Surya is very natural but too trendy for words. Gautam should have gone with an experienced dialog writer who would have conveyed the same sentiments but in a more provincial manner catering to the general public. All the "Daddys" were just a little too much and the older Surya saying to his kids that he took one look at Simran and "Fell in lust" was very adorable but would completely go over people's heads. People won't understand that at all. When the younger Surya calls his dad after Meghna dies in Oklahoma and cries on the phone he says "We made love Daddy"! Very poignant but I doubt if people got the significance of the statement.
The Locale :
The sets for the older Surya and Simran in college looked very contrived and was not natural looking. San Francisco looks mysitic as always and the vista point above the Golden Gate bridge where Sameera professes her love for Surya was well picturised and the bridge itself always spellbounds viewers time after time. The tall ochre towers rising above the clouds is so typically San Franciscan.
The Story :
A tribute to a father by a son. The love between son and father is very well pictured and all the other actors are side dishes to the main course - the love between the generations. The love between Simran and Surya is brought out time and time again. Krishnan calls his wife darling for the entire movie and the scene where he has scotch in one hand and he caresses his wife's foot is just beautiful. Simran's anger when her husband is diagnosed with cancer is also well filmed.
There are a lot of side stories which could have been thwarted but I guess the director needed to show the young Surya coming out of his stupor and he needed a supportive story for that. The sister Shreya's character was left in the lurch and they could have showed her being married or atleast with somebody just for closure.
The IMA shoot at DehraDun was very impressive and it showed the director's enthusiasm for the right touch and originality instead of make doing with sets. It made the film very real.
All in all, I would rate the movie 3 out of 5. So Gautam Sir, very good attempt and a brave attempt I must say knowing the people's penchant for the usual rigamarole of village belles falling in love with zamindar lads or the rich boy poor girl angle..
Kudos....
Kay
