Vedam

In 2 months time, Allu Arjun gave one of the worst movies and one of the best movies of this decade in Tollywood.

Vedam has 5 independent stories in it which are taking place parallelly, and the characters of all the stories converge at the big climax. In my limited memory, I can't remember such a movie being made prior in Tollywood. This could be a risky subject but director Krish (Gamyam fame) pulled it off with great aplomb. I won't brief about the 5 stories but they are very different from each other and there is believability to each one of them although in various degrees.

If an award for the best performance by an ensemble cast in Tollywood is introduced next year, Vedam would be the leading contender. Nobody in the movie messed up there roles. Allu Arjun is an excellent fit in the role of Cable Raju. His performance & emotions at the end where he has a change of heart is the best that he had done until now. After the movie Arundhati, Anushka has become a clear crowd favourite. The whistles and shouts during her introduction scene were only matched by the entrance of Arjun. Anushka has nailed the role of Saroja going from funny to angry to angst with ease. She definitely is one of the best actresses in Tollywood right now. This is my first Manchu Manoj movie. He was an apt choice to play the music loving wannabe rock-star Vivek. Manoj is not only a better actor than his brother Vishnu but he is also choosing his scripts wisely. He created a good first impression on me. I haven't seen Manoj Bajpai fail as an actor and the same goes here. He gives good performance as the victimised Muslim Raheemuddin Qureishi. All the others in the movie performed really well. Deeksha Seth is used for her glamour.

Since there are 5 stories, there are a lot of characters to be introduced. So in the first half, we are introduced to the characters and their motivations. With a conflict in each story, the first half ends. So it may appear to some people as if not much has happened as a whole in the first half but that is only an illusion because we are dealing with 5 stories here. The second half is absolutely gripping.

Generally in our industry when you have a drama with superb performances, the technical aspects are grossly neglected. But Vedam is technically a very well made film. Right from your editing to cinematography to art work to sound effects, this is a wonderfully made film. Dialogues & direction by Krish are great. Krish proved that he is not a one film wonder. Let's hope that he is not a two film wonder. (Am I being greedy?)

Background score by Keeravani is very good but I would have been more happy if every thing is original. Coming to the songs, the songs fit in the movie very well but I don't think they would work outside the movie.

After the break, for a few minutes the movie tends to be slow. They could have cut a song there. Story & script wise, the tussle between Manoj & Sikh lorry driver was too superficial. To develop the conflict in Manoj's character, a more natural setup would have been very good. Another one is when Manoj Bajpai, who initially tries to escape without even warning the hundreds of people in the hospital about the impending danger, has a change of heart when he sees a pregnant lady. Agreed that he has some past scars regarding unborn babies but still it appeared a bit forced. One more thing is when some body dies at a huge explosion, I think that the faces should not be recognisable. But the above points are very minor, and by the end of the movie this is a very satisfying experience.

http://amarsmoviejournal.blogspot.com

All in all, this is a must watch. This is going to win a lot of awards next season. The general perception is that an award winning movie tends to be a boring art movie. This is true in many cases but once in a while there comes a really good drama without boring you and this is one of those. I was absolutely thrilled by the time the movie was over because of mainly 2 reasons. One reason was because the movie was very good & the second one was because I rarely see such well made movie in Telugu. So my humble request is don't miss this.

Finally, a triple thumbs-up (if such a word is there) for the director Krish and the producers Devineni Prasad & Yarlagadda Shobhu.

p.s I didn't understand the crediting of Manchu Manoj as Guest appearance because I felt his role was of a proper protagonist.

A social experimental movie with certain characters of different classes of people and the life changing moment which is a beautiful writing from Krish Jagarlamudi

Kudos to the director Krish and the artists mainly Anushka.. She us fabulous in her role and applause for her dareness to choose this role

The film initially begs for freshness but as it hits the second hour it touches you, draws you into their purgatory, their ups and downs. Wow!! Its a Very Good Movie and a Lot of new point of view. The Director is here to stay, he proved earlier in Gamyam itself and now he put a signature in the History of Telugu and Indian Film Industry. What a Movie!! Can be matched with any Great movies in India such as Maniratnam's or Sekhar Kummals or Adoor Gopalakrishnan etc..

Allu Arjun dominates the film with his flawless work. In the second part of the film, his expressions are splendid, especially when he tries to steal money at the hospital, while going to pay for the tickets and his scenes with a small child whose smile he chose to overlook in a hurry to fulfill his desire. Manoj Bajpai: Needless to say about him. Needless to talk about him, He always delivers what is expected. Anushka is simply natural and yes pretty too. and Manoj: Well Done, He can be proud enough to be a Part of such a Beautiful and Meaning full movie.

Vedam – the format in which it has been told was never done before in Telugu cinema.

Dialogues are the asset of this movie and Allu Arjun is the face and soul of this movie. The way his character develops is amazing. Career best performance.

It is really a daring step by any producer or director to do such a film especially with a commercial hero like Arjun and glamorous star Anushka, besides Manchu Manoj.

wow!what an experience which compelled me into writing this..lets start from the beginning..

when i was told that this was an experimental movie in telugu, i was really circumspect because let me tell u i've been watching telugu movies for many years now & whenever someone tries something "different" more often it turns out to be awful.

but this one's one of those movies which stands for all the great things about this great medium.it shows,reflects,teaches & above all it inspires.

hats off to the director for pulling this off with a difficult subject,ensemble cast & an amazing way of story telling.

if u really are curious to know the story,it intertwines 4 stories which are very distinct on their own from the beginning to the end. just the characters meet very briefly & u keep wondering through the 1st half if there is any connection at all. and boy there is! its not just topical but a much deeper connection & the director keeps it ticking without a single dull moment with great élan.

its the triumph of human spirit that touches u in the second half. the scene where allu arjun (yes the same guy who did the horrible varudu)returns the money or manoj(fully intense throughout)takes on goons who really are hooligans in the name of religion or the superbly crafted climax that takes ur breath away.

this movie asserts everyone gets a second chance to redeem yourself no matter how terrible ur mistakes are.its just up to u to embrace it. it uses such dramatic situations to prove this that often makes u tearful and yet every character is so real that one can identify oneself in at least one of them.this is what makes this movie hit the jackpot.

the acting is fine by all leading stars.after seeing this u keep wondering y Allu Arjun chooses some horrible movies.manoj bajpai shines in his role as Muslim fighting against the system but the guy who stand out with his intense role a wannabe rock star unwillingly ending up a patriot is Manoj.

I know some of u may not like the ending but come-on aren't we tired of the same old stuff?this is contemporary movie making at its best & its prudent for us to embrace it & encourage such movie makers who make us proud to be Indians!!