Message well imparted -- Veeraapu
MAKING AN IMPACT: Veeraapu
Genre: Sentiment
Director: Badri
Cast: Sundar C., Prakash Raj, Gopika, Vivek
Storyline: A father’s unwarranted strictness changes the course of the son’s life.
Bottomline: To ponder, savour and enjoy!
Getting neither unnaturally melodramatic nor overtly sentimental a father-son relationship that sours into enmity has been convincingly captured in Home Media (P) Ltd.’s ‘Veeraapu’ (U). The apt title, when loosely translated, means
‘ego,’ and portraying the arbitrary nature of a man whose short-sightedness spells doom for his son is the inimitable Prakash Raj. Sundar C. presents a fresh foil to him — the mischievous glint in his eyes and the commendable underplay are his pluses. And the mob that gathers together in poignant scenes shot on the streets of Tirunelveli look so natural that you get the feeling that you are watching real life incidents.
Vedakannu (Prakash Raj), a Maths teacher and a martinet of a father, wants his son, Pulipandi, to excel in Maths just like himself. But when the young boy shows promise in Science and small inventions, the dad instead of being proud, gets uncontrollably angry. Corporal punishment is what the poor child faces at the hands of the cruel father both at home and school. Slowly, the boy’s frustration turns him into a ruffian, feared by society. If Sundar C. as the grown up Pulipandi executes the role with the right amount of emotions, so does Udayaraj, the equally effective child actor who plays the young Pulipandi.
Actors score
Commending Prakash Raj is redundant. The actor has always done a great job. He gets into the skin of the character easily, and if you hate this dictatorial dad it only goes to prove the performer’s prowess. When at times the father goes overboard in his rudeness, you hate him for it. Gopika’s sprightliness looks natural, and though the heroine vanishes often, whenever she appears she makes her presence felt. But a teacher running behind Puli literally is a little hard to take.
Sumitra is not the clichéd, helpless mother throughout. When you see her rising in revolt against her heartless husband the role gains respect. It is Vivek who joins Sundar C. this time but the track is almost entirely on its own. The witticisms are typically Vivek as he gives voice to rational thoughts. Unfazed by her girth Anju (the beautiful child artist of ‘Udhiri Pookal’ turned comedienne) makes you laugh. ‘Delhi’ Kumar impresses in an interesting cameo, while Tejasri is more an intrusion in an otherwise smooth narration. Generally it’s the vamp who sheds clothes but here it’s the hero who strips at the drop of a hat! (He pulls out his dhoti to cover the opponent’s head and beat him up!)
The Kerala original has been suitably and successfully adapted and given a clear Tamil flavour by Badri who has written the screenplay and dialogue and directed the film that ends on a neat note. Why can’t we have more such films with impact-making themes?
MALATHI RANGARAJAN
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