Varisu: Only Slightly Better Than Thunivu

Varisu manages to be slightly more grounded and complete, narrowly edging out Thunivu.

Intro

The Vijay vs. Ajith rivalry has been going on for years as the two movie stars have diehard fan bases that often collide when their movies are released. Starting in 2023, we have Vijay’s Varisu clashing against Ajith’s Thunivu. Thunivu is an action-packed flick while Varisu is a more family oriented movie. And while both films are very mediocre, Varisu manages to be slightly more grounded and complete, narrowly edging out Thunivu.

Story

The story follows a prominent businessman with three sons, the youngest of whom is Vijay. Vijay and his father don't get along, and he leaves the house. However, when it comes time for his father to choose the next heir to his empire, he decides to give it to Vijay. The rest of the film follows the obstacles of running a business, but more importantly, holding together a family. While most of the dialogue was decent and somewhat funny, once in a while, some random cringe lines came from nowhere, leading to viewers' confusion. The soundtrack is prevalent and robust; however, it becomes repetitive as they use the same BGM repeatedly when it isn't needed. The film's theme is similar to a Telugu movie that Allu Arjun starred in called Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. However, Varisu is not nearly as well executed as that movie, as it becomes very long-drawn and boring after the first half.

Acting

The acting is decent, but there’s nothing spectacular about it. The cast was relatively star-studded, from Vijay to Prakash Raj, yet no one stole the show. The short cameo from S.J Surya was a treat for viewers as he has recently become a crowd favorite. The cinematography is standard for most Indian films, including the incredibly unrealistic fight scenes. The settings of the numerous songs are pretty vibrant and add something to the film that’s much needed as the audience starts to fall asleep towards the latter half. The directing is average, with no real inventive ideas or creative shots, just classic masala scenes taken how you would expect them to be.

Closing Critiques

It's truly sad that most directors cannot stray away from traditionally styled Indian movies in favor of doing creative works. However, it is majorly due to the catering to the fanbases of respective actors. The moment directors and actors start to care more about the overall film rather than the individual portrayals to the audience, that is when Kollywood will begin to progress rapidly and be able to compete once again with other major film industries.

Raving Rating: 5.9