Vedam Review: Movie About Humanity

Rating: 3.5/5
Punchline: laws (loss) of life
Genre: Romance/Action
Type: Straight
Banner: Arka Mediaworks
Cast: Allu Arjun, Manoj Manchu (guest), Anushka, Nagayya, Manoj Bajpai, Deeksha Seth, Lekha Washington, Siya Gowtam, Satyam Rajesh, Brahmanandam, Saranya, Ravi Prakash, Pruthvi, Posani Krishna Murali, Krish (guest) etc

Music
: MM Keeravani
Cinematography: VS Gnana Sekhar
Editing: Sravan
Fights: Ram - Lakshman
Art: Rajiv Nayyar
Story - screenplay - dialogues - direction: Radha Krishna (Krish)
Producer: Prasad Devineni & Shobu Yarlagadda
Release date: 4 June 2010
Theater watched: Screen 4, Prasads


What’s it about: Vedam is about five people.
Vivek Chakravarthi (Manoj Manchu), a budding rock star from Bangalore who has to perform at Hyderabad.

Saroja (Anushka), a prostitute from Amalapuram, who wants to start her own ‘company’ in Hyderabad rather than work for someone else.

Ramulu (Nagaiah), a textile worker from Lingampally of Sircilla, who is tortured by a Money Lender to repay his money. He goes to Hyderabad too, to find a solution.

Cable Raju (Allu Arjun), a cable operator in Hyderabad, who has managed to find a rich girl friend, needs some urgent money to keep her. Not that she is a bad person!

Raheemuddin Qureshi (Manoj Bajpai), a muslim in Old City of Hyderabad tortured by a sorry past, is on his way to fly away to a safer place.

All the characters meet at one place for one intense, emotionally charged climax scene.

What is Good: Many would wonder if the above lines will give away the story. Nope. This is just the beginning, and that’s the beauty of the film! From the moment you are in, you are caught in the web of the characters and their stories.

Jagarlamudi Krishna shows glimpses of brilliance. There are scenes in which you will laugh out loud, some scenes that are too raw, some that make you think and some that just silence you from inside. With only two films, he creates his own style.

Keeravani’s background music lights up the performances of each actor with his exceptional music. Allu Arjun has come of age and brings in a lot of maturity to his acting. He gives the movie’s most heart warming performance as he gets the lengthiest role in the film. Together with Nagaiah and Anushka he creates some magical scenes! Just watch out for his expressions in “Mallee Puttanee…” song.

Anushka – Saroja the prostitute is so raw, atleast for Telugu audiences, that her innocent questions, comments just about pinch where you least expect them to!

Manoj, Manoj Bajpai carry the film equally well along with a plethora of other actors that include Lekha Washington, Deeksha Seth, Siya Gautham etc.

Technical Department: Cinematographer Gnansekhar’s camera become your eyes! What more can a cinematography director do? Sravan, the editor, must have had tough job with the film, simply because of the number of characters, and the pressure to achieve 100% accurately done film. He comes out well too!

The story of the film, done by Krish himself is the soul of the film. It’s about everyone whom you must have come across in life, and no, it doesn’t confuse you. It’s as if each person on screen has a story and a lesson to tell. It is so tempting to divulge few scenes here, but for the sake the film, we refrain. Krish deserves a hug, if not a kiss for the story!

What is bad: Few scenes in the first half become repetitive. It’s as if you already know the complexities of each character and want the director to move on. But that’s not for long though. The only complaint people might have is that the stories run individually till the second half.

Finally: Yesterday, in an interview Allu Arjun said that there will always be few people who ask why are Telugu films so clichéd, and that this film will be the answer to their question. He is so bang on target!

If you are expecting a film in which sumos are blasted, thighs are thundered etc., then this one might disappoint you.

If films like Vedam aren’t encouraged, we will be left with films that will be made with only money and without a soul! Watch Vedam and ask your friends to watch it, for the sake of good cinema in Telugu. The noise of clapping by the audience after the film finished is the loudest I've heard. I plead and rest my case!