Vaaranam Aayiram Tamil Movie Review

Rating: 2.5/5
Just how do you describe the life and learnings of one man in an immensely entertaining and engrossing fashion? You do it the way Gautham Menon has done it; you do it by drawing in all your senses and emotions and displaying it as an enchanting piece of art that is the very portrayal of poignancy. This portrait that Gautham has painted, is what we present to you today, as Vaaranam Aayiram.
Life is a circle. You are what you are made of and you are what you make of yourself, so say the old adages. This is the story of Surya, son of Krishnan. Surya grows up surrounded by the one emotion and bond that is often underrated, love.
His father Krishnan is his hero, his icon, and the example he has to live up to. His mother, Malini, is calm, grounded and strong. She is the very epitome of everything that a good mother should be.
Their's is a normal, happy family; a family where the children gain their inner strength from the grit and determination that their parents teach them as lessons for life. In their words, Surya and his sister, learn to believe that, 'Nothing is impossible; not if your heart is pure and your dedication complete.'
These lines of advice goes beyond the usual schoolchild and teenager's academic stress, beyond peer pressure and beyond the emotional confusion only growing up can bring.
The movie carries itself forward on the strength of its narration, arfully tracing various facets of Surya's lifelong journey. Beginning from the time when he is a child, the movie moves on to etch a skillful display of the transitions he undergoes as he is faced with various challenges in life. Whether it is the role of a teenager, a young man, a tortured lover, a patriot or a good son his parents, Surya doles out his usual fare. And when we say that, we mean, perfection.
In his journey, he encounters many things, many people; good and bad. Meghna, is one such important person. She is the love of his life, the woman who made things bigger, brighter and more beautiful for him. But, tragedy spares no one. She leaves him for a career and a future for herself.
Vaaranam Aayiram beautifully portrays that life's tragedies can wreak havoc even as suddenly as a crack of lightning. Is immense pain a human being's true test of strength? Does giving in to pain, make you stronger or beget even more pain?
What was expected to be a boring, long-drawn melodrama turned out to be, at least in bits and pieces, the stories of our lives, with characters all of us have met or lived with at some point in our lives.
Beautifully told and intricately woven, Vaaranam Aayiram is a tale based on the backbone of realism and beautiful music. Speaking of music, here is an orchestra of melodies that will transport you to a different planet.
From the background score, to the situational numbers and of course, the golden oldies sung in Gautham and Suriya's own voices, music is the heartbeat of this movie.
Vaaranam Aayiram impresses visually, in terms of colour and environment, but perhaps this clarity is only because of the clarity we are able to see in each character and not so much because of the visuals itself.
Editing-wise, this is probably the best work Antony and Gautham have done together. The story's flow is almost seamless and at no point will you blink and wonder at sudden gaps in the narration. The actors are simply superb, in the sheer simplicity of their roles and thus, maximum impact.
Suriya is nothing short of brilliant and it is no mere flattery to say that he has, while doing this most difficult job of being a father, teenager, young lover, deranged addict and a man with a purpose, simply risen to standards the of the industry.
The hurt and rage in the underdog schoolboy's eyes, the gleam of love and enthusiasm in the young lover's gaze, the intolerable pain of separation and solace found in hallucinogens, the torturous path back to normalcy, the newfound sense of purpose and meaning; the rekindling of love and passions, all these emotions and nuances have been brilliant portrayed with his eyes and body language, so much so that even if this movie doesn't go on to become a box-office success, his work will be critically acclaimed for a long time to come.
Simran as Malini is, simply fabulous. Fabulous, because she has delivered an iconic performance as the strong, silent and calm mother. Sameera as Meghna, the quintessential modern young woman with career plans and dreams of her own, is better than brilliant. Divya Spandana as Priya, who plays the coy but firm lass who silently harbours feelings of romance for the protagonist, gives you goosebumps, quite literally!
Every single member of the Photon Factory team and Gautham's regular band of filmmaking brothers including the Karthiks, Rajeevans, Meghnas of the world, have small, but noticeable roles.
All these characters has made Vaaranam Aayiram complete, every step of the way. Perhaps the only drawback of the movie is its length. At 3 hours, it's a daunting task to think about watching a movie as intense as this.
But once the tale begins, there is no turning back. Vaaranam Aayiram gives you glimpses into the many aspects of the director's life through this movie. The smart viewer might be able to catch heavy whiffs of Gautham's own family life, experiences of growing up, pain, turmoil and strengths, in the narrative.
It is impossible to talk about or 'view' a movie such as Vaaranam Aayiram without turning it into a spoiler. So all we will say is, watch it, be moved, inspired and touched. A movie has finally been made, which blends beautifully, both, reality and fantasy and through both these realms, manages to capture the essence of a human being. Vaaranam Aayiram is nothing short of a magnum opus.