'Viraaji' headed to theatres today with a limited release. Does the film live up to its epic title? Or, is it another absurd movie with a high-sounding title?
Story:
An unseen force threatens to kill, one after another, a bunch of sinners who have been tricked into congregating in a mental asylum. Soon, they realize the evil trickery they can't hope to escape from. A twist renders everything that has unfolded so far bereft of substance.
Post-Mortem:
The film relies on a red-herring screenplay. The audience is made to believe something that is not true. Despite the running time being 20 minutes shy of two hours, the ordeal doesn't seem to end.
SI Prabhakar confronts a drug peddler in the initial portions. In the past, he has abused his position to victimize an innocent person. Concept Raju, a supposedly comedic photographer, has also sinned in the past. His character becomes an excuse for the director to indulge in artificial horror comedy tropes for a couple of minutes.
Vedha, the failed stand-up comedian, could well be the manifestation of the film's lack of comedy sense. Film Producer Kodandam has harassed an aspiring actress in the past, causing her death. Ashok Chakravarthy, the event manager, is there to add nothing to the story. Ramakrishna, the celebrity astrologer, is a parody of none in particular. Dr Sudha, a money-minded gynecologist, is supremely generic.
Andy describes himself as a fool for being foolish enough to come searching for fatal danger. His character should have been explored for its potential for whimsicality. He sparks directionless conversations among the captives, just as the director steers directionless scenes for one hundred uncool minutes.
The young couple in search of honeymoon fun cheapens the otherwise grim storyline. Also, we don't understand how come they are the only ones to find the mental asylum possibly ominous. Don't the rest of them have a brain? The lack of suspicion in the mind of the cop is explainable. Of course, the twist that comes in the pre-climax phase makes all unanswered questions irrelevant and the entire plot pointless. That's the tragedy of silly movies that are a riff on thrillers made in Western cultures/societies.
Varun Sandesh should avoid backing wafer-thin stories. His recent 'Nindha' was another dud. 'Viraaji' goes many steps further. The rest of the performances are underwhelming. GV Ajay Kumar's cinematography is poor. Ebenezer Paul (Ebby)'s score is half-inspired.
Closing Remarks:
'Viraaji' is a meaningless screenplay-driven thriller with a silly twist.
