Movie: Vaa Vaathiyaar
Rating: 2.25/5
Cast: Karthi, Raj Kiran, Krithi Shetty, Sathyaraj, and others
Director: Nalan Kumarasamy
Streaming On: Prime Video
Vaa Vaathiyaar is an action-comedy film directed by Nalan Kumaraswamy, starring Karthi as the lead. Produced by Studio Green, the film faced many obstacles before it finally hit theaters this Pongal. But the film failed to impress audiences and ended up as a big failure. Now the film has arrived on OTT, and let’s find out what’s good in it and what went missing in it.
Story:
The story of Vaa Vaathiyaar follows Ramu (Karthi), who is raised by his grandfather (Rajkiran). His grandfather is a devoted fan of MGR and believes that his grandson is the reincarnation of the legendary leader and actor Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran, fondly called Vaathiyaar.
After a small incident during his childhood, Ramu moves away from his grandfather’s idealistic beliefs. He learns to survive in society in his own way and grows up to become a corrupt police officer. He hides his true nature from his grandfather. The rest of the story focuses on how long he can keep this secret and the unexpected turn his life takes.
Performances:
Karthi gives a believable performance and carries the film on his shoulders. But his effort would have made a stronger impact if the writing had been clearer. Krithi Shetty’s character and scenes add little value to the story, even though her introduction creates some expectations. Sathyaraj is wasted in an ordinary role, while Rajkiran delivers a natural performance and brings some emotional depth to the film.
Analysis:
Vaa Vaathiyaar is directed by Nalan Kumarasamy, who attempts to present a commercial action entertainer with a quirky and stylish approach. The idea of MGR returning nearly 40 years after his death and possessing a police officer to fight injustice is interesting.
But this unusual concept needed a strong screenplay to work well, and Nalan fails to impress except in a few moments. The references and tributes to the legendary actor and political leader MGR work only to an extent. The biggest disappointment is how weakly his fight against corrupt politicians is portrayed.
The action and elevation scenes fail to create any impact. The cat-and-mouse game between the villains and Vaathiyaar never rises to the occasion and often feels dull and silly. The opening scenes, a few light-hearted moments involving Karthi, and the idea of a group of youngsters fighting corruption through a social media page are some of the film’s better moments.
After setting up an interesting premise, Vaa Vaathiyaar loses its emotional grip and moves forward randomly. The climax is also disappointing, as it lacks both a powerful victory and a meaningful transformation for the lead character.
Positives:
- Karthi and Raj Kiran’s Performance
- Few Fun Moments
- Some Scenes Involving MGR/Vaathiyaar Character
Negatives:
- Uneven Narration
- Weak Villains
- Zero Emotional Impact
- Underdeveloped Hero vs. Villain Conflict
Vaa Vaathiyaar Review and Verdict:
Vaa Vaathiyaar is an honest attempt by Nalan Kumarasamy and Karthi to pay tribute to MGR. Unfortunately, it fails to fully use its potential and ends up being neither a strong commercial entertainer nor an ambitious film.