Movie review: Vaaranam Aayiram (Goutham Vasudev Menon)

Forget Surya looking like a million bucks – he actually looks like Gautam Menon; that is how self-indulgent this movie gets. The ode-to-everyday-dad is about the son and the Dad that we never really come to know or relate to, barring his endless smoking and deep love for his wife, Simran. It’s strange that the son goes ga-ga over dad, while we’re supposed to empathize with the no good son. Still, the episode with Sameera is vintage late 80s Maniratnam material. Harris’ music towers above the meandering screenplay, while the laboriously created 80s set pieces are meticulously conjured, but as cardboard’ish as the emotions the film holds, complete with seemingly-natural ‘kiddo’ and ‘sonna’ callouts. The film drags mercilessly from one non-event to another and even the so-called events forced into the screenplay are, well…forced! Despite the assorted stages of body packs and facial hair, Surya’s characters are so poorly etched that he almost seems like a misfit in this grueling film. But, the worst joke here was forcing the film’s title right in the end, with an absurd, pointless explanation! I wish Gautam looks up to his family members in private and not exhaust 3 hours of his audiences’ time.

Keywords: Surya, Suriya, Simran, Divya Spandana, Sameera Reddy, Harris Jayaraj, Gautam Menon, vaaranam aayiram film review