| Cast |
Suriya, Divya Spandana, Sameera Reddy, Simran and others |
Music: |
Harris Jeyaraj |
| Direction: |
Gautham Vasudev Menon |
Produced by: |
Ascar Ravichandran |
| Cinematography: |
Rathnavel |
'Vaaranam Aayiram' is a story that narrates the bonding between a father and his son from the latter's perception. The opening sequence, where an elderly Suriya appears, gives a faint hint of things to follow. The story takes us through the various stages in the hero's life and the multitude of emotional gamut he undergoes like the feeling of love, getting into and out of it, the losses, grief, ecstasy, etc.
The 'father' Suriya is a revelation and catches us off guard. His body language, modulations in voice, etc. make us sit up and take notice. More than a father, he's like a close friend to his son - the kind of 'father' rarely one gets to see in Tamil films. For the mere creation of such a powerful father's character, Menon deserves loads of accolades.
Alongside, the pains and agonies Suriya undergoes and his adventurous stint in Delhi first with the kidnappers of children and then with the Indian army, are shown in an appreciable manner.
As we have seen in many of Gautham's films, there is no separate comedy track but the humour quotient is tangible in many sequences. The director's maturity comes to the fore when the emotional bonding between the father and his son is downplayed or kept in check. The bonding between them also takes into account the mother's contribution to their relationship, a factor that is largely ignored in many films. Menon scores here too. Gautham's forte lies in his pleasing depiction of love stories. The Meghna-Suriya love affair is no exception to this.
The film, however, has its share of flaws too. The oft-repeated formula of breaking into a duet after the 'love' is confirmed is quite cliched.
The kidnapping of children and the rescue operations, though filmed in a gripping manner, don't contribute significantly to the overall theme of the film but only add to the duration of the film, which runs for three hours. The length plays spoilsport to the overall impact. One could not comprehend as to why Goutham shows the gangsters involved in child trafficking as Muslims.
Suriya has, no doubt, scaled many dimensions in acting in this film. It will be an under-statement to merely say that Suriya has done well. In fact, he carries the entire film on his well built shoulders. His portrayal of life's various stages with the apt body language and the downplayed emotion is marvelous. His romantic interludes with Divya and Meghna, the much spoken-about 'six-pack' physique, the agonizing time when he's not getting his quota of drugs, etc. are just samples of this ever-improving actor. The climax sequence where the two Suriyas (father and son) bid goodbye and exchange emotional glances is a class act.
Simran, the dream girl of Kollywood not so long ago, appears in an aged character and sends out a strong statement about her acting with a subdued performance. Her experience as having acted as a heroine in a number of films comes in handy in depicting various emotions.
Sameera Reddy looks dazzling and surprisingly, acts well. Divya Spandana, in a brief role, makes her presence felt.
Harris Jeyaraj's melodious numbers from the film have already become chartbusters. 'Anal mael...' and 'mundinam...' linger in our hearts long after we leave the halls. Kudos to thamarai for the poetic lyrics. Rathnavelu's cinematography is a major strength of the film; the way his camera has canned the great Himalayas and the nature-rich scenic locations in America is quite commendable.
But for some slight deviations from the original plot of traversing a man's life history from his childhood to old age, the film is good.
Never mind the length, the film is worth watching for all the efforts and dimensions portrayed.