Vanakkam Chennai – Movie Review

Clear script, crisp narration and brilliance in technical aspects – even a ‘crow and fox’ tale that we heard many times from our grannies would be a super hit in box office with these elements. Debutant Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, a copywriter and a well-versed writer offers detailed structure in what she does. It’s a decent entertainer and she makes it more engaging from beginning till end. Many filmmakers in Kodambakkam have attempted for Hollywood-fangled feel good rom-coms, but she, is the absolute pioneer to reinvent this formulae. Of course, films of this genre, say for instance, Faasil’s Arangetra Velai and Radha Mohan’s Azhagiye Theeye have been quite an epitome of it. Although not completely up to its mark, this one savours as a passable entertainer.

Ajay (Shiva) hails from Theni and much alike many daydreamers comes to Chennai seeking fortune. Anjali (Priya Anand), a rich girl from London chisels her dad and arrives in the city for her photography profession. Both are chiseled by a fraud Narayanan (Santhanam) and are urged by situations to stay in the same home. They are poles apart and create havoc in their ambience until they start realising they are made for each other….

Don’t expect us to pull out the best scenes for illustration and so with the flip side. It all depends on your perception and how you take it. There are fun elements in the film and Shiva himself dominated with his usual style. His funny confrontations with Priya Anand are enjoyable. Santhanam appears only by the point of intermission. The second hour of Shiva-Santhanam keeps us intact. Priya Anand looks beautiful than her previous films and her performance is appreciable as well. There are some sluggish moments in the second hour, but it gets overshadowed by the humour elements. Shiva has to improvise a little on emotional front in performance. Santham sleepwalks through his role. Oorvasi is excellent, Nasser is good and cameo by Udhaynidhi Stalin is a special delight.

Background score and songs are the biggest pluses in the film and it offers a rich quality to this film. Anirudh seems to be offering a big treat in every film and proves to be a specialist in BGM. Cinematography by Richard M Nathan is so rich and it keeps you so much gazing on the screens. These elements indeed offer more substantiality to the script. Although, it’s an old dimensional film, it is entertaining in few parts.

Verdict: Time-pass movie. Can watch it once