Varisu
Tamil (Theatres)
Director: Vamshi Paidipally
Cast: Vijay, Rashmika Mandanna, R Sarathkumar, Jayasudha, Prakash Raj
Rating: 2.5/5
"It's all about loving your family," said the tagline of Karan Johar's magnum tear-jerker 'Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham' ('K3G), a film that hasn't aged well ever since its release in 2001. More than two decades later, an Indian filmmaker's idea for a film still begins with the low-hanging fruit called family.
In, Vamshi Paidipally's 'Varisu', Jayasudha yearns for her son's return to the family just like Jaya Bachchan in 'K3G'. In the latter, though, Jaya Bachchan is always seen praying to the almighty with a Pooja thaali in hand while hoping to see his son.
So why is Vijay, the youngest son of business tycoon Rajendran (R Sarathkumar) banished from the family? Because the Harvard-return hero isn't interested in enjoying ancestral wealth. He has his dreams for which he doesn't need the financial aid of his father's business. A familiar plot point? Well, the film's story is extremely familiar and the screenplay is boringly templated. Paidipally predominantly makes Telugu films.
Sure, the star is in his elements (he dances like a dream and his trademark humour is still intact). But his in-form performance should have come in a better film. The hangover of an average Telugu blockbuster (be it 'Srimanthudu', 'Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo' or 'Attarintiki Daaredi') looms so large over 'Varisu' that it's impossible to embrace this bloated melodrama that is obsessed with the 'family sentiment' trope.
Vijay, like several portrayals of Telugu cinema heroes, plays the protagonist who resurrects a crumbling family. Things go downhill for Rajendran when he is diagnosed with last stage of pancreatic cancer and his two sons (played by Shaam and Srikanth) are greedy about family inheritance. Enter Vijay, who takes up the task of fixing the cracks in the family and taking on his father's professional rival Jayaprakash (Prakash Raj with an off-colour performance in a terribly written role).
The film has short bursts of energy thanks to its star but overall, it lacks the spark that's required to lift this old-school 'masala' film that doesn't forget to be loyal to over-the-top action sequences and needless songs. Thaman's score is jarringly loud and his songs feel like clones of Anirudh's 'Arabic kuthu' from 'Beast'.
'Varisu' is replete with outdated writing decisions. Yogi Babu, who has broken his image of a stereotypical comedian, is back essaying an insignificant character trying to generate laughs with slapstick humour. Rashmika Mandanna is seen more as a dancer than as a performer in a negligible character. The emotional scenes between Vijay and Jayasudha appear painfully superficial.
Films like these sell themselves as festival gifts with an intention to draw the family crowd. 'Varisu' is far from a festival film that gets its commercial elements right. There are far better Vijay offerings to binge-watch at home with family if that's what you are looking for.
'Beast' from Nelson's was a misfire, yes, but it was at least encouraging to see Vijay collaborating with a youngster. He took that path with 'Master' first, where he responded to the sensibility and style of a new-gen filmmaker. With 'Varisu', it seems the actor has played it safe.