Varisu Movie Review: Vijay makes his 90s comeback in this well-known emotional entertainer
January 11, 2023 07:39 | Updated 09:28 IST


Directed by Vamshi Paidipally, 'Varisu' utilizes Vijay's humorous and emotional aspects and explores a familiar story
Srinivasa RamanujamSRINIVASA RAMANUJAM

Vijay in Tamil movie "Varisu"


We have seen many 'amma sentiment' movies in Tamil cinema. And also some "appa sentiment".

Varisu, Vijay's latest outing at the box office, not only combines these two aspects that Tamil cinema has milked for many years, but also adds another dimension: the sentiment between the brothers. With so much material about a family with a myriad of problems among its members, Varisu resembles a popcorn vat that has seen many rounds of flavored spices.


Bland popcorn in movies isn't exciting anymore, and the onscreen action seems to be the same. Vijay has certainly experimented with genres in his last few films - Bigil was a sports drama and Beast was about people trapped in a mall - but this time with Varisu, he returns to a formula that has worked for him in the past. : family.


Remember Vijay's family in Minsara Kanna (1999), a group of rich people pretending to be poor to bring two people together? They are rich in Varis—and very rich. The house they live in, which we see a few minutes into the film, is one of the most opulent mansions you'll ever see in Tamil cinema. The characters inside talk small talk and do business with millions chief among them Rajendaran (Sarath Kumar) whose business rival is Jayaprakash (Prakash Raj). Rajendaran proudly flaunts his two sons – played by Srikanth and Shaam – but is tight-lipped about Vijay, his youngest son. why that? Will Vijay agree to ditch his carefree life - when we first see him he's on a bike trip enjoying the sights and sounds of nature - and take an interest in his father's multi-million dollar business? In the first half, which relies heavily on slow, TV series-like sequences, Varisu has little weight on emotional beats; The relationship between mother and son seems superficial, while the brothers' tussle to take over a multimillion-dollar business is trivial. Not helping matters is some very average comic relief from Yogi Babu and a love story with Rashmika that doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Only in the second half does Varisu get a little steamy. The character's decision seems to find some payback and once Vijay gets into his familiar cute and funny zone, Varis becomes a different animal.


Varis
Cast: Vijay, Rashmika, R Sarathkumar, Prabhu, Prakash Raj, Shaam, Srikanth
Directed by Vamshi Paidipally
Plot: Who will inherit a multi-million dollar business?
There are a few theatrical moments that have to hit. Igniting Vijay's old film references at an important business meeting is an idea that Vijay fans will celebrate in the cinema hall, as they will when the star dances to the fast-paced 'Ranjithame'. Those last few seconds, phew.


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But like most hero films, Varisu needs Vijay to play the knight in shining armor for every little problem in the house. And so we have a useless clue about someone being kidnapped and Vijay saving the day; things that could have been removed to shorten the 170 minute running time. Music composer Thaman gets the dance numbers right and cinematographer Karthik Palani adds color to the sequences, but Vijay seems to be having the most fun.


After a long time, it's refreshing to see him return to humor and goofiness. There are plenty of moments in the second half - especially during the conversations with his brothers and Prakash Raj's gang - during which Vijay gets back to having fun and being the hero we loved a few decades ago, before he became too socially conscious in his roles. . Apart from Varisu's steady plot and saccharine emotional beats, that's what sticks in your mind in this Vamshi Paidiplyla directorial.