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Varisu Movie Review : Vijay and Rashmika starrer Varisu is a potent commercial cocktail

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Nagaraj N 33 9 days ago

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The movie just look like a old story

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Very Good Movie

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Vijay is in terrific form, cracking one-liners that have us break out into a smile, make self-referential punches and show earnestness in the sentimental moments.

Varisu Movie Review: Vijay and Rashmika starrer Varisu is a potent commercial cocktail

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Nagaraj N 33 9 days ago

Nilanchala dakua 140 96 days ago, deepan 107 days ago.

The movie just look like a old story

SAI ESHWAR 113 days ago

Very Good Movie

User 2 117 days ago

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​Saree tales by Kushboo Sundar​

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​In pics: Anasuya Bharadwaj's enchanting presence in candid snaps​

Karishma Tanna shows a stunning blend of cultures in Indo-Western attire

Eid 2024: 8 after Dinner sweet treats to try this Meethi Eid

10 non-dairy foods that help build and maintain strong bones

Sonam Kapoor's summer fashion gets a much-deserved pop of floral

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• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor. Share
• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor.
• This is the second time Arjun Kapoor is playing a double role, the first being Aurangzeb (2013).
• The song ‘Yamma yamma’ from ‘Shaan’ is sampled in the song ‘Partywali Night' for the film.

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Vijay Rajendran is a happy to-go lucky man. Things change when his father becomes terminally ill, and he is left to manage his business empire. Vijay Rajendran is a happy to-go lucky man. Things change when his father becomes terminally ill, and he is left to manage his business empire. Vijay Rajendran is a happy to-go lucky man. Things change when his father becomes terminally ill, and he is left to manage his business empire.

• Vamshi Paidipally
• Ahishor Solomon
• Joseph Vijay
• Rashmika Mandanna
• 209 User reviews
• 7 Critic reviews
• 1 nomination

• Vijay Rajendran

• Ajay Rajendran

• Rajendran Palanisamy

• Jayaprakash

• Jai Rajendran

• Sudha Rajendran

• Ajay's wife

• Thangadurai
• (as Vtv Ganesh)

• Vijay's friend
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• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia The film contains many references to past Vijay movies, including Poove Unakkaga (1996), Ghilli (2004), Thuppakki (2012), Bigil (2019), Master (2021), and Beast (2022).

Vijay Rajendran : Every Family Have Flaws, But We Have Only One Family

• Connections Features Metti Oli (2002)
• Soundtracks Ranjithame (Tamil) Music by S. Thaman Lyrics by Vivek Performed by Joseph Vijay , Manasi

User reviews 209

• shaikhirshad-41223
• Jan 11, 2023
• How long is Varisu? Powered by Alexa
• January 11, 2023 (India)
• Chennai, India (First Schedule)
• Sri Venkateswara Creations
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• ₹1,750,000,000 (estimated)

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• Runtime 2 hours 49 minutes
• Dolby Atmos

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Varisu Movie Review: An in-form Vijay and self-aware writing elevate this conventional family drama

Rating: ( 3.5 / 5)

Right from the posters and trailer to the pre-release interviews, everything about Varisu clearly indicated a formulaic family drama. This would have sounded like a foolproof plan a few years ago. But in 2023, an A-list actor sticking to this template isn't the most exciting idea. But director Vamshi Paidipally and Co have given this age-old recipe a refreshing twist by adding an ample dose of self-awareness and humour. Largely, the film knows when to take itself seriously and when not to. Take, for example, the scene where Meka Srikanth tries to throw a monologue on the divinity of family and love. Before we roll our eyes or take a dig at the cliche, we hear a burst of loud laughter... not from the fans but from the screen. It is Vijay who echoes the mind of the audience, and says, " Edhuku ipo avan kitta sentiment RR music ellam pottutu iruka nee? " Bingo! A potential 'content' for meme creators dodged thanks to the witty writing. 

Director: Vamshi Paidipally 

Starring: Vijay, Sarathkumar, Jayasudha, Rashmika Mandanna, Prakashraj, Shaam, Meka Srikanth

The writers of Varisu don't stop there. They make Vijay mouth dialogues like, " Indha sondhakaranga naale toxic dhaan pa! " in a film that paradoxically talks about the importance of family. Of course, this translates to occasional tonal inconsistencies, but an in-form Vijay and the self-awareness of the film make up for the shortcomings. Throughout the narrative, we see Vijay (who plays... Vijay!) transforming from an ambitious Harvard graduate to a globe-trotter, and then from a start-up founder to a business tycoon. While this arc isn't quite novel for a 'commercial hero', it is exciting to see Vijay slip into these roles with consummate ease. The film is peppered with references from his previous blockbusters. There is the knuckle-busting action from Thuppakki , the thumb-rubbing from Ghilli , and the open-arm entrance from Sarkar . Aside from the obvious call back to Poove Unakkaga , the film also drops enjoyable, quick references to the goat sacrifice scene in Thirupachi , the western-classical dance face-off in Pudhiya Geethai and Oh Baby song from Kadhalukku Mariyadhai .

Interestingly, Varisu which was widely speculated to retain the soul of blockbuster Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo , has its very own riotous boardroom scene, where the hero goes all filmy. But Vamshi does it with a rather tasteful twist. The film provides ample space for Vijay to be at his comical best. Whenever Vijay goes a bit overboard with his antics, Yogi Babu pitches in with his sarcasm, once again turning the stretch into effective humour. 

Known for his onscreen monologues, it is nice to see Vijay move away from sermoning despite playing a messiah again. Instead, Vijay embraces silence and allows his physical performance to do the talking. One particular instance where this facet is pronounced is his confrontation scene with Sarathkumar's Rajendran. In a scene with the potential to become a long-winding exchange of dialogues, Vijay delivers it all with just a look in his eyes and walks away.     However, Varisu isn't completely devoid of the ' Kudumbam na... ' messages, and the film does occasionally become preachy. But, thankfully these stretches aren't painfully long and never come across as moral policing assignments. However, what becomes painful and preachy is the contradictions in the ideologies. At one point, the makers don't judge or gaslight a woman who wants to move out of a marriage with an adulterer. At one other point, the resolution to this broken marriage is conventional, convenient, and contrived. It almost undoes the goodness of the initial pro-choice angle when it came to divorce and separation. Also, there is a fleeting but completely unnecessary body-shaming scene that is distasteful. 

If the novelty of the story is your yardstick to gauge a film, Varisu  might not rank high. It has plot points and ideas liberally borrowed from Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, Dharma Durai, and more. Despite the narrative being predictable,  it is the conviction of filmmaker Vamshi and the honest performances of the lead cast that elevates Varisu from being just another run-of-the-mill family drama. 

The film in a way is the story of Rajendran, a self-absorbed man seeking redemption and peace; and Sarathkumar ably shoulders the gloominess that comes along with the character, almost making up for his animated performance in the raging sequences. Jayasudha probably can pull off a mother longing for love even in her sleep. But the actor goes on to show why she is still the best fit for such roles. Though the camaraderie between Rajendran and Anantha Padmanaban (Prabhu) helps in making the core want of the protagonist effective, Prabhu has very less to offer otherwise. Similarly, I would have loved to see more of Rashmika Mandanna and definitely more layers to her character in the film. Seeing a female lead without a clear want or a profession is quite unsettling. 

The random appearance of " Indha paadalai paadi kondirupavar ungal Vijay " quote in 1995's Vishnu , is probably one of the oddest yet most memorable fourth-wall-breaking moments of Tamil cinema. Fast-forwarding two decades, we have another V film having a couple of interesting fourth-wall-breaking. The best among them is Vijay casually taking a dig at family dramas while making a confident statement. " Starting nala iruku, ending nala iruku, nadula konjam emotions iruku, avlo dhaan podhum! Kudumbangal kondadum vettri! " Well, it is safe to say that he isn't overconfident!

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Varisu Movie Review (2023)

• 11 Jan 2023

Vamshi Paidipally's 'Varisu' is old wine in an older bottle, relying solely on Vijay's "mass moments"

Varisu Movie Cast & Crew

If you look at the cast list in the Wikipedia page for Vamshi Paidipally's Varisu , you will find Rashmika Mandanna's name but next to that, you won't find the name of her character. Of course, this could be just a matter of someone not yet finding the time to do the update – but it becomes a sort of metaphor for the heroine. It doesn't matter what her name is. She is there for a few songs, and fewer lines. It is true that one goes to a Vijay movie ONLY for Vijay. But couldn't they have written a few actual scenes that show why Vijay (that's Vijay's name in the film, too) falls for this woman? Oh, there is a reason, but it is so silly that you wonder why writers were needed for it. To be frank, the whole film is so predictable that you wonder why writers were needed for it. All they needed was scenes from old "family entertainers", plus clips of Vijay's "mass moments".

I have probably said this before, but forgive me for the repetition: I treat these big-hero films like the James Bond or Mission: Impossible movies. I understand that you cannot change the formula. But you can certainly change the flavours you add to each iteration of the same formula. That never happens in Varisu , whose story is a bit like that of Chekka Chivantha Vaanam . Sarathkumar plays a patriarch with three sons, one of whom will inherit his business empire – in other words, become his " varisu ". It is to Sarathkumar's credit as an actor that, even with this screenplay and character definition, he manages to deliver a fairly moving performance. Prabhu plays his doctor and old friend, and the few lines they share (like " nee odanja naanum odanjiduven ") are the only times you get the sense of a real relationship on screen.

As for the rest of the film, it could be titled "Vijay solves all problems". Again, I get that this is how it has to be. This is the formula. But consider Bigil , which I continue to insist is one of the better Vijay films in the recent past. Each of the women had a genuine issue, something relatable in the real world. Here, the family's issues are treated so randomly that it's hard to care that these people even need a saviour. A woman agrees to go back to her cheating husband - not because he repents but because Vijay saves the day. Worse, we concentrate more on generic mining deals and other things outside the house when the film is supposed to deal with problems inside the house. A particularly excruciating stretch is about how Vijay overcomes a no-confidence motion. Poor Prakash Raj is reduced to being a dummy villain. And poor Jayasudha is reduced to a dummy mummy. 

Nothing goes beyond the surface. Had they spent more time inside, we would have had more time to understand the friction between Vijay and his father. But here, we accept this friction not because we feel it due to a series of events but because the screenplay says so. One minute, we are thrust into human trafficking. The next second, the leads are dancing to the super-catchy Ranjithame . Then we get a tragic scene involving cancer. In the old days, these drastic shifts in mood and tone would be called bad screenwriting. Today, because of the way we consume unrelated content at a stretch on our phones, that complaint appears to have become invalid. If one scene does not work, scroll to the next one and forget about the earlier scene that did not work. As long as something is giving you a bit of sensation…

And what about Vijay? Outside the theatre, someone came up to me and asked if I had seen the film. Just to gauge his reaction, I said "not yet". He said he really liked it, and said, "Vijay needs a break like this". What he meant was that Vijay has been making very intense action films, and it's nice to see a "family entertainer" like this, where he is light and casual. I guess I belong to the other camp, where I'd rather see Vijay in a focused film like Master or even a Thuppakki , where there is actually something at stake than giving the fans a bunch of whistle moments. He still looks young. He still dances like a dream. He still does the little comedy bits well. He still references his earlier catch-phrases ("I am waiting!"). So I figure the real question at the end of Varisu is not whether "is it good?" but "is this enough?"!

Thunivu Movie Review

Cirkus movie review.

• 23 Dec 2022
• About The Author
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Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

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Varisu is more than just a family entertainer - Vamshi Paidipally

Published date : 26/oct/2022.

Varisu is an upcoming film starring Vijay in the lead and the movie marks the first time collaboration between the Tamil star and Telugu director Vamshi Paidipally. While this unusual combination was indeed unexpected, director Vamshi recently revealed that it was producer Dil Raju who initiated the union between the two. In the same interview with Cinema Vikatan , Vamshi said that Varisu is 'more than just a family entertainer'. 

While talking about how filmmakers can't fix just one genre while trying to make a star vehicle, Vamshi said, "Varisu is a family entertainer no doubt but it will be more than just a family entertainer. Keeping Vijay sir I can't just keep it (the genres) limited. Writing our kind of films, when we write for stars, it's not at all easy, its very tough because it is not genre-based. When you are catering to a larger section of the audience, you should have all the genres in it."

The director further added, "On the baseline, Varisu is a family film. But whatever is required for Vijay Sir, his fans and his image, we've kept in mind and we did so many things around that. So it will have everything and every section of the audience from a 6 year old to grandmas and grandpas can watch this movie. That is what Varisu is going to be."

Talking further about Varisu  and Vijay, Rashmika Mandanna's characters in the movie, Vamshi  also said,

"Any commercial film should have a hero, a heroine, songs - there is no change in that. But if a heroine is going to be there, they should have some importance and not just there (for namesake). And we will try to do as much justice as possible in the limited scope (a heroine has in a commercial film). Some films might be limited, the characters might get limited but it should be well defined.   Varisu is a proper Tamil film. Everyone will relate with Vijay's character. (In terms of relatability), you'll be there in the film, your mother will be there, your father will be there, If you have brothers and sisters, they will be there. All kinds of varied human emotions are there in this film. By the time you come out of the theaters, you'll feel like leaving all your complaints will family behind. That's what this film is going to do and that's what we are confident about."   

Also See:  varisu-movie-stills

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Thalapathy Vijay's Varisu trailer review, Vijay's swag dialogues in family drama are the highlight

The much-touted varisu trailer has finally been released at 5 pm on wednesday and thalapathy vijay is all swag in the trailer. here is a quick review of the trailer and the dialogues rocking social media..

Listen to Story

• Vijay talks about power and the seat of power - a reference to politics?
• Thalapathy has whistle-worthy dialogues.
• There is a very strong family sentiment in this film.

FAMILY DRAMA

Vijay has a close relationship with his mother as seen in the film and the song Soul of Varisu also.

SWAG DIALOGUES

There are some dialogues that throw shade at politicians and, given Vijay's ambition to enter politics, there are always such dialogues in his films.

In one scene, Vijay tells Prakash Raj when he comments about the heat in the seat, "Power is not in the seat sir, the man who comes and sits in that seat wields the power. Namma (My) power is one of a kind!"

Again, is he referring to the love of his fans and recent scuffles he has had with the government? One wonders since Vijay had two fan club meetings in the span of a few weeks. This is something he has not done for many years.

The third dialogue that stands out is that the arena may be filled with someone else's people but the audience will only look at one man.

When Thalapathy finally talks about family, it is touching. He states that all families have issues but we each have only one family. He probably means that we need to look after our family and take care of them. When Vijay meets his fans, he always refers to them as one family and this could be a testament to his fans as well.

'Varisu' movie review: An in-form Vijay elevates this family drama

Right from the posters and trailer to the pre-release interviews, everything about Varisu clearly indicated a formulaic family drama. This would have sounded like a foolproof plan a few years ago. But in 2023, an A-list actor sticking to this template isn’t the most exciting idea.

But director Vamshi Paidipally and Co have given this age-old recipe a refreshing twist by adding an ample dose of self-awareness and humour. Largely, the film knows when to take itself seriously and when not to. Take, for example, the scene where Meka Srikanth tries to throw a monologue on the divinity of family and love. Before we roll our eyes or take a dig at the cliche, we hear a burst of loud laughter... not from the fans but from the screen. It is Vijay who echoes the mind of the audience, and says, “Edhuku ipo avan kitta sentiment RR music ellam pottutu iruka nee?” Bingo! A potential ‘content’ for meme creators dodged thanks to the witty writing.

The writers of Varisu don’t stop there. They make Vijay mouth dialogues like, “Indha sondhakaranga naale toxic dhaan pa!” in a film that paradoxically talks about the importance of family. Of course, this translates to occasional tonal inconsistencies, but an in-form Vijay and the self-awareness of the film make up for the shortcomings. Throughout the narrative, we see Vijay (who plays... Vijay!) transforming from an ambitious Harvard graduate to a globe-trotter, and then from a start-up founder to a business tycoon. While this arc isn’t quite novel for a ‘commercial hero’, it is exciting to see Vijay slip into these roles with consummate ease.

The film is peppered with references from his previous blockbusters. There is the knuckle-busting action from Thuppakki, the thumb-rubbing from Ghilli, and the open-arm entrance from Sarkar. Aside from the obvious call back to Poove Unakkaga, the film also drops enjoyable, quick references to the goat sacrifice scene in Thirupachi, the western-classical dance face-off in Pudhiya Geethai and Oh Baby song from Kadhalukku Mariyadhai.

Interestingly, Varisu which was widely speculated to retain the soul of blockbuster Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, has its very own riotous boardroom scene, where the hero goes all filmy. But Vamshi does it with a rather tasteful twist. The film provides ample space for Vijay to be at his comical best. Whenever Vijay goes a bit overboard with his antics, Yogi Babu pitches in with his sarcasm, once again turning the stretch into effective humour.

Known for his onscreen monologues, it is nice to see Vijay move away from sermoning despite playing a messiah again. Instead, Vijay embraces silence and allows his physical performance to do the talking. One particular instance where this facet is pronounced is his confrontation scene with Sarathkumar’s Rajendran. In a scene with the potential to become a long-winding exchange of dialogues, Vijay delivers it all with just a look in his eyes and walks away.  

However, Varisu isn’t completely devoid of the ‘Kudumbam na...’ messages, and the film does occasionally become preachy. But, thankfully these stretches aren’t painfully long and never come across as moral policing assignments. However, what becomes painful and preachy is the contradictions in the ideologies. At one point, the makers don’t judge or gaslight a woman who wants to move out of a marriage with an adulterer. At one other point, the resolution to this broken marriage is conventional, convenient, and contrived. It almost undoes the goodness of the initial pro-choice angle when it came to divorce and separation. Also, there is a fleeting but completely unnecessary body-shaming scene that is distasteful.

If the novelty of the story is your yardstick to gauge a film, Varisu might not rank high. It has plot points and ideas liberally borrowed from Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, Dharma Durai, and more. Despite the narrative being predictable,  it is the conviction of filmmaker Vamshi and the honest performances of the lead cast that elevates Varisu from being just another run-of-the-mill family drama.

The film in a way is the story of Rajendran, a self-absorbed man seeking redemption and peace; and Sarathkumar ably shoulders the gloominess that comes along with the character, almost making up for his animated performance in the raging sequences. Jayasudha probably can pull off a mother longing for love even in her sleep. But the actor goes on to show why she is still the best fit for such roles. Though the camaraderie between Rajendran and Anantha Padmanaban (Prabhu) helps in making the core want of the protagonist effective, Prabhu has very less to offer otherwise.

Similarly, I would have loved to see more of Rashmika Mandanna and definitely more layers to her character in the film. Seeing a female lead without a clear want or a profession is quite unsettling. The random appearance of “Indha paadalai paadi kondirupavar ungal Vijay” quote in 1995’s Vishnu, is probably one of the oddest yet most memorable fourth-wall-breaking moments of Tamil cinema. Fast-forwarding two decades, we have another V film having a couple of interesting fourth-wall-breaking moments. The best among them is Vijay casually taking a dig at family dramas while making a confident statement. “Starting nala iruku, ending nala iruku, nadula konjam emotions iruku, avlo dhaan podhum! Kudumbangal kondadum vettri!” Well, it is safe to say that he isn’t overconfident!

Director: Vamshi Paidipally Starring: Vijay, Sarathkumar, Jayasudha, Rashmika Mandanna, Prakashraj, Shaam, Meka Srikanth

Rating : 4.5/5

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Varisu movie review: Vijay Thalapathy is a no brainer entertainer until it's NOT

Updated Jan 12, 2023, 23:41 IST

Varisu movie review starring Vijay Thalapathy

• Cast : Vijay Thalapathy, Rashmika Mandanna, R Sarathkumar, Jayasudha, Srikanth Meka, Shaam, Prakash Raj
• Director : Vamshi Paidipally
• Ratings : 2.5/5

Varisu Direction

Varisu story, varisu performances, varisu music, varisu overall.

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'Varisu' movie review: An in-form Vijay elevates this  family drama

Right from the posters and trailer to the pre-release interviews, everything about Varisu clearly indicated a formulaic family drama. This would have sounded like a foolproof plan a few years ago. But in 2023, an A-list actor sticking to this template isn’t the most exciting idea.

Also read:  ‘Thunivu’ movie review: Bullets and bombs fail but the dialogues don’t

But director Vamshi Paidipally and Co have given this age-old recipe a refreshing twist by adding an ample dose of self-awareness and humour. Largely, the film knows when to take itself seriously and when not to. Take, for example, the scene where Meka Srikanth tries to throw a monologue on the divinity of family and love. Before we roll our eyes or take a dig at the cliche, we hear a burst of loud laughter... not from the fans but from the screen. It is Vijay who echoes the mind of the audience, and says, “Edhuku ipo avan kitta sentiment RR music ellam pottutu iruka nee?” Bingo! A potential ‘content’ for meme creators dodged thanks to the witty writing.

The writers of Varisu don’t stop there. They make Vijay mouth dialogues like, “Indha sondhakaranga naale toxic dhaan pa!” in a film that paradoxically talks about the importance of family. Of course, this translates to occasional tonal inconsistencies, but an in-form Vijay and the self-awareness of the film make up for the shortcomings. Throughout the narrative, we see Vijay (who plays... Vijay!) transforming from an ambitious Harvard graduate to a globe-trotter, and then from a start-up founder to a business tycoon. While this arc isn’t quite novel for a ‘commercial hero’, it is exciting to see Vijay slip into these roles with consummate ease.

The film is peppered with references from his previous blockbusters. There is the knuckle-busting action from Thuppakki , the thumb-rubbing from Ghilli, and the open-arm entrance from Sarkar . Aside from the obvious call back to Poove Unakkaga , the film also drops enjoyable, quick references to the goat sacrifice scene in Thirupachi, the western-classical dance face-off in Pudhiya Geethai and Oh Baby song from Kadhalukku Mariyadhai .

Interestingly, Varisu which was widely speculated to retain the soul of blockbuster Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, has its very own riotous boardroom scene, where the hero goes all filmy. But Vamshi does it with a rather tasteful twist. The film provides ample space for Vijay to be at his comical best. Whenever Vijay goes a bit overboard with his antics, Yogi Babu pitches in with his sarcasm, once again turning the stretch into effective humour.

Known for his onscreen monologues, it is nice to see Vijay move away from sermoning despite playing a messiah again. Instead, Vijay embraces silence and allows his physical performance to do the talking. One particular instance where this facet is pronounced is his confrontation scene with Sarathkumar’s Rajendran. In a scene with the potential to become a long-winding exchange of dialogues, Vijay delivers it all with just a look in his eyes and walks away.  

However, Varisu isn’t completely devoid of the ‘Kudumbam na...’ messages, and the film does occasionally become preachy. But, thankfully these stretches aren’t painfully long and never come across as moral policing assignments. However, what becomes painful and preachy is the contradictions in the ideologies. At one point, the makers don’t judge or gaslight a woman who wants to move out of a marriage with an adulterer. At one other point, the resolution to this broken marriage is conventional, convenient, and contrived. It almost undoes the goodness of the initial pro-choice angle when it came to divorce and separation. Also, there is a fleeting but completely unnecessary body-shaming scene that is distasteful.

If the novelty of the story is your yardstick to gauge a film, Varisu might not rank high. It has plot points and ideas liberally borrowed from Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, Dharma Durai , and more. Despite the narrative being predictable,  it is the conviction of filmmaker Vamshi and the honest performances of the lead cast that elevates Varisu from being just another run-of-the-mill family drama.

The film in a way is the story of Rajendran, a self-absorbed man seeking redemption and peace; and Sarathkumar ably shoulders the gloominess that comes along with the character, almost making up for his animated performance in the raging sequences. Jayasudha probably can pull off a mother longing for love even in her sleep. But the actor goes on to show why she is still the best fit for such roles. Though the camaraderie between Rajendran and Anantha Padmanaban (Prabhu) helps in making the core want of the protagonist effective, Prabhu has very less to offer otherwise.

Also read:  Golden Globes 2023 full list: The Banshees of Inisherin wins big; RRR’s Naatu Naatu bags Best Original Song

Similarly, I would have loved to see more of Rashmika Mandanna and definitely more layers to her character in the film. Seeing a female lead without a clear want or a profession is quite unsettling. The random appearance of “Indha paadalai paadi kondirupavar ungal Vijay” quote in 1995’s Vishnu, is probably one of the oddest yet most memorable fourth-wall-breaking moments of Tamil cinema. Fast-forwarding two decades, we have another V film having a couple of interesting fourth-wall-breaking moments. The best among them is Vijay casually taking a dig at family dramas while making a confident statement. “Starting nala iruku, ending nala iruku, nadula konjam emotions iruku, avlo dhaan podhum! Kudumbangal kondadum vettri!” Well, it is safe to say that he isn’t overconfident!

Director: Vamshi Paidipally Starring: Vijay, Sarathkumar, Jayasudha, Rashmika Mandanna, Prakashraj, Shaam, Meka Srikanth Rating: 3.5/5

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