Being a movie made by Nalan Kumarasamy of Soodhu Kavvum fame, and with Karthi coming off a good outing with Meiyazhagan, I went in with high expectations for Vaa Vaathiyaar. Sadly, I was disappointed. The film failed to connect with me at any level. The running time of just over two hours is what saved me. Mangoidiots rates it Rotten.
On paper, this sounds like a fun and even powerful idea. Ramu’s grandfather is a hardcore MGR fan. He dreams that his grandson will grow up to live by the ideals of his matinee idol. Instead, Ramu turns into a corrupt police officer, standing for everything MGR never did. Due to some unexplained event, Ramu starts living a dual identity as MGR, without being aware of it himself. The film is about how this identity takes on the evil elements in society.
Sadly, none of this ever settles properly on screen. The core idea is never established with conviction. None of the characters is clearly defined. The villain is especially weak, and I kept wondering who the real bad guy here was supposed to be. There are no strong reasons given for us to root for the hero. And the less said about the heroine character, the better.
Throughout the film, Karthi feels oddly distant from the role. He never fully fits into the skin of the character. In a few sequences where he plays MGR, there are some delightful moments, but they pass quickly and leave no lasting impact. Kriti Shetty, mainly because of the dubbing voice, reminded me of Tamannaah in her early years. I like Rajkiran, and as the grandfather, he did impress me. I only wish he had been given more to do. Sathyaraj, Karunakaran, Anandaraj, and Nizhalgal Ravi appear briefly and leave without making any real impression. I honestly cannot recollect what Vadivukkarasi did in the film, apart from appearing in a frame during a song.
The screenplay does not reflect the talent of the director as a writer. I suspect the long delays in the film’s release may have affected the editing and fine-tuning.
MGR is not just a person, he is a feeling in Tamil cinema. Bringing his likeness to the screen is not something that can be done carelessly, and this film treats that responsibility far too lightly.
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