Veeramae Vaagai Soodum movie review: This Vishal-starrer has some whistle-worthy moments

3/5

Story: The life of Porus (Vishal), a police aspirant who hails from a middle-class family, turns tops-turvy after his sister's demise. He sets out to find the perpetrators who assassinated his sister. He gets to know that the powerful man behind the murder has indulged in a few other killings as well. 

Porus goes all out with guns blazing and starts connecting the various links to reach his target. But he knows that his journey is going to be quite a risky one. Will he be able to take on the mighty powerful man? 

Review: It was Thu Pa Saravanan's impressive short film, Edhu Thevaiyo Adhuve Dharmam, which landed him the offer to direct Veeramae Vaagai Soodum. One can find similar presentation style in both the short film and the action movie with regard to realistic portrayal of events. One knows what to expect from Vishal's films as he is poster boy for action films in Tamil. 

Thrilling action sequences and cat-and-mouse game between his character and the antagonist are common elements in most of his movies. The biggest challenge for filmmakers who helm a Vishal-starrer is to come up with a story that offers intriguing conflicts, apart from ticking all the boxes for a commercial action potboiler. 

A few minutes into Veeramae Vaagai Soodum, we are reminded about Suseenthiran's Pandiya Naadu, which also had Vishal playing a common man, whose life revolved around his family. But unlike the latter, this time, he plays a police aspirant. This minor change in the characterization comes in handy in sequences where he flexes his muscles and comes up with smart moves during complex situations.

Porus' (Vishal) happiness revolves around his sister Dwaraka (Raveena Ravi), mother (Tulasi) and father (Marimuthu). His father is a constable, and he, too, has been keen on donning the khaki for a long time. 

The story begins when Dwaraka attempts suicide after repeated torture from a local rowdy. Later, the rowdy's elder brother requests for a compromise with Porus' family. Meanwhile, a similar compromise meeting happens between a few college students and a girl for a similar reason in another part of the city. 

Nedunchezhiyan (Baburaj), a ruthless businessman, decides to finish off Parisudham (Elango Kumaravel) after the latter stages constant protests against the functioning of a dangerous factory owned by the former. The three incidents get connected at a crucial point after which Dwaraka gets killed.

What is the connection between the three incidents and people involved in it? Can the ordinary Porus take on the mighty Nedunchezhiyan who is all set to contest in an MP seat?

The movie is a typical action flick one expects from a Vishal-starrer. With adequate gripping moments and well-etched characters, the screenplay has several moments where intelligent cat-and-mouse game takes place. The film is a slow burner which shifts to top gear before the pre-interval portions. From then, it is a roller-coaster ride with some effective twists and turns.

The biggest positive factor of the film is the manner in which the emotional angle in it works. The brother-sister bonding, father-son conflict and mother-daughter relationship are portrayed in a relatable manner which helps the viewers to empathize with their issues.

The role of a well-built police aspirant who is emotional and intelligent is a cakewalk for Vishal. 

It is a joy watching him oozing oodles of energy in action sequences. He is quite effective in emotional scenes as well. Raveena Ravi fits easily into the role of the loving, vulnerable sister. Tulasi and Marimuthu are effective as typical mother-father characters. The latter has more scope to perform, though.

Baburaj, Elango and other characters, too, are effective in their respective characters. The fight sequences are neatly choreographed, but a better background score would have enhanced the overall experience. On the downside, the female lead character played by Dimple Hayathi is just okayish. 

A few scenes featuring the character seem to be written so as to make the viewers feel that the role is not entirely avoidable. The movie's story would have worked even without a female lead. The romantic portions seemed forced, but luckily there aren't any distractions in the form of songs. The climax fight and the scene leading to the culmination of the story are generic, but the tail end about the disappearance of 16 criminals is a scream. 

Verdict: The film is a treat for those who love revenge thrillers with superbly choreographed action sequences and intriguing cat-and-mouse games.  

Veeramae Vaagai Soodum is streaming on Zee5.