Vaanam - Review

Cast	Silambarasan, Bharath, Anushka Shetty, Prakashraj, Saranya Ponvannan, Sonia Agarwal, Vega Tamotia, Santhanam, Jasmin Bhasin, Jayaprakash, Radha Ravi, Ravi Prakash, VTV Ganesh.
Director	Krish
Story-Screenplay	Krish
Dialogues	Kannan and Giri
Music	Yuvanshankar Raja
Cinematography	Nirav Shah
Editing	Anthony Gonsalves
Banner	VTV Productions, Magic Box Pictures
Producer	VTV Ganesh, R. Ganesh
Distributor	Cloud Nine Movies
CBFC	U/A
Choreography	Ahmed Khan, Gayathri Raguram
Stunt	Silva
Lyrics	Na.Muthukumar, Silambarasan
PRO	Johnson

Since couple of months, 'Evan Di Unna Pethan' was not just a song in Vaanam but it was a synonym for the movie and Silambarasan, to whom belongs the lyrics and voice credit. Vaanam is a remake of the Telugu movie Vedam, which turned out to be a mega hit of 2010. Director Radhakrishna, introduced in Tamil as Krish presents Vaanam, which shows the lives of five individuals, their needs, their desperation to achieve it and their destinies, which brings them together. Will they abandon their needs for others? Is it really a materialistic world we live in?

Cable Raja (Simbhu), a slum dweller in Chennai, who works in his neighborhood cable TV. Bharath (Bharath), a military brat from Bangalore, who aspires to be a rock star against his parent's wish. Saroja (Anushka), a sex worker in Andhra, who wants to flee her brothel to start her own. Hamid (Prakash Raj) from Coimbatore, who is in search of his younger brother, who had fled the communal riots. Revathi (Saranya) a weaver in Thoothukudi, who is neck deep in debt and penury.

Their desperations in life?

Cable Raja, pretending he is a wealthy, is in a relationship with a rich girl hoping he could get rich the smart way. The d-day arrives when the girl wants to introduce Cable Raja to her parents. The venue, a pomp new year eve party with an entry fee of Rs.40,000.  How can the poor Cable Raja afford the party?

Bharath walks out on his mother and leaves to Chennai to attend a rock concert, which he believes will give him the break, he has been longing for. His rock band drives to Chennai but gets a flat tyre on the way. When Bharath's friends leave to fix the tyre, he is left alone with his girlfriend on the lonely highway. A gang of ruffians encounter the couple, subdue Bharath and abduct with his girlfriend. How can he rescue her?

Saroja had reached the height of tolerance servicing her clients day in and day out. In the brothel, an abusive police inspector ravages her repeatedly. Saroja, along with her trans gendered friend, give a slip to the inspector and her madam, and flee to Chennai. Lusty men  are always on Saroja's trail. Will she be independent make a living for herself?

Hamid, his pregnant wife and younger brother get stuck in the middle of a radical right wing procession. They get viciously attacked and Hamid's wife suffers a miscarriage. An Inspector, who is also a right wing sympathizer, frees the attackers and insults Hamid for his religion. Humiliated and denied justice, Hamid's brother flees home. Hamid goes in search of his brother, who vowed he would fight back. Can Hamid find his brother and bring him home?

Struggling weavers Revathi and her father-in-law owe Rs.40,000 to a loan shark. Their only hope in life is Revathi's son, who is a topper in academics. When the loan goes unpaid. the loan shark takes away Revathi's son and puts him on bonded labour in a salt pan. With no other way to give her son an education, Revathi decides to sell her kidney through a broker, who brings her to a doctor. The sincere doctor, suspecting a commercial kidney transplant turns down Revathi. Can Revathi sell her kidney to manage the money, which would grant her child's freedom?

Vaanam's first half brings you to this edge of the seat situation. What would happen if these individuals' struggling lives overlap? That is revealed in one of the most fast phased scenes ever seen in Kollywood.
Director Krish hasn't just got a new name in Kollywood, but had earned a velvet seat too. The story, screenplay and appealing editing is bolted tight, with not the slightest of space for flaws. Five stories within one, which are edited with equal importance and flow to all the characters is Anthony Gonsalves' magic. Nirav Shah's camera quickly adapts to dusty villages to crowded slums to posh dance floors with ease. Cinematography in the thrilling climax scene, along with Yuvanshankar Raja's heart thumping music is a huge bonus. Cable Raja is Simbhu's best role till date. He had abandoned his cliched' young guy image, and had lived the character and its emotions. We opine, last decade was Simbhu's honeymoon phase in Kollywood, some demanding roles are headed the actor's way henceforth.

Santhanam as Tan- tana-tan Cheenu has repeated the partnership he offered with Arya and Karthee, in Boss Engira Baskaran and Siruthai. Anushka as the mirchi hot sex worker is too hot to handle this summer. Vaanam's first half is reserved for 'Evan Di Unna Pethan', the rest of the songs perfectly swing with the moods on screen. Saranya as the impoverished weaver is the poignant face of our struggling farmers and artisans in rural India. Her tale throws light on the atrocious bonded labour widely prevalent in our country. Happy go lucky Cable Raja, throughout his escapades says “Enna Vazhka Da” (What a life!). We saw, wow, what an entertainer!