Vedam

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!!

The movie is good for Telugu industry definitely. The casting was good and a big experiment that gave some positive results.

The first half of the movie doesn't have any story and tends to bore you. The script tried very hard to establish all the characters in the first half and doesn't concentrate on the story. But, the second half is power packed and gets the best of writing supported by performances. Nagayya as Ramulu is awesome. Arjun is his usual energetic. Anushka is sexy and innocent at the same time. Manchu Manoj is good for his role. Manoj Bajpai has done justice to his role.

Overall, this movie has a potential to change the industry norms and standards if taken in right sense and elevate the movie making art. Full credit has to be given to Krish, the director.

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.

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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.

From the director of 'Gamyam', comes another meaningful story 'Vedham'. Audience in search of wisdom, your ultimate stop is here. Readers, if this review goes a little long, it is only that appreciation to this movie has no bounds. Krish has done a flawless job that will make the audience sit at the edge of the seat for most of the time.

With this movie, Tollywood goes to the next level. The level from commercial cinema to meaningful cinema! Krish has already announced his arrival with 'Gamyam' and now he has cemented his place with 'Vedam'.

The Characters

'Vedam' is the story of 6 people. All the people involved are introduced individually. First in the list is Manchu Manoj as Vivek Chakravarthy who's introduced with a title as 'Rocking Star'. He is a rock star in the movie and a song showing him as a rock star appears soon after the title of the movie. He along with his girl friend Lasya (Lekha Washington) and their gang set up a rock band in Bangalore. They go to Hyderbad for a performance.

Next is Nagayya as Ramulu, an old man from Lingampally, is introduced along with his daughter in law Saranya. They are illiterates who face serious financial problems. They are in debt to Patel who has Saranya's son captive. Only upon paying the debt, the son would be set free. The only solution is to sell a kidney of Saranya that takes the old man and his daughter in law to Hyderbad.

Next scene is a 'basthi' (slum) in Jubilee hills, Hyderbad. Allu Arjun as 'Cable Raju' is introduced. He's educated yet works as a cable boy who doesn't pay his boss. He fakes his life as a rich brat and makes his filthy rich girl friend believe the same. He needs money to impress his girl friend.

In this list of 6 people, the fifth in the line is Manoj Bajpai as Rahim Qureshi. A bitter past in a Hindu Muslim fight, his pregnant wife loses the foetus before birth. A small misunderstanding with a cop has him in a black list. He is a good man and a beloved husband yet in the bad books of the police.

The last in the list is Anushka who's Saroja, a prostitute. She knows no other way of living. She along with her friend, 'Karpooram', a eunuch, wants to get out of the prostitute house they work for. They want to set up on their own.

The Plot

This is a classic movie that will go in to history no doubt! IndiaGlitz appreciates the director, Krish for making such a meaningful movie. Only a gist is given and nothing more. After the introduction of all characters, the plot takes place on 31st night. Every character is associated with Hyderbad. This one night is life changing for all the 6 persons and the people associated with them.

Parallel to the lives of these 6 people, a gang of terrorists plot a plan to massacre innocent citizens in the name of 'Jihad'. How these people are related and how the others in the hospital, who are held as hostages by the terrorists, are saved, forms the terrific remainder of this paramount story.

The hero of the movie…

The screenplay and it is the hero! The introduction of all characters is done one by one. It is a simple yet powerful screenplay. The characterization of all characters is sketched carefully in such a way that the script is not dominated. Given the images of Allu Arjun and Manchu Manoj, the script emerges greater.

'Vedam' Dialogues are exemplary and compliment the screenplay.

The screenplay is crisp thanks to the editor Sravan. The way the story is narrated by Krish is just amazing and any word above that will go to him. No lag in script and that is one sign of a classy movie maker. Kudos to him and his editor!

The next important technician is the cinematographer VS Gnana Sekhar. His camera has captured all those intense scenes excellently particularly a few scenes on the highway when Manoj and his band are on their way to Hyderbad from Bangalore.

M M Keeravani's music and rerecording are remarkable. Looks like he saves his best for the best! Elegant work from the veteran, his music is definitely an asset.

Performances

Starting from the order of appearance in the movie- Manoj as an actor will cherish the character he has portrayed in 'Vedam' all through his career. He has been shown as an intelligent guy who has an ambition. Manoj has pulled of a decent job. Interestingly when his name appeared in the titles, his character was described as special appearance as subscript.

Allu Arjun as a cable guy would equally feel happy to have bagged such a role. His screen presence is a little more than Manoj, his character demands it. Allu Arjun has evolved as an actor yet his expressions could be better. In fact Manchu Manoj and Allu Arjun come on the screen together only for a few seconds and that too in the climax.

Manoj Bajpai has brought out a terrific performance and his performance is the pick of the lot. Anushka has done a decent job. All other actors have done a great job but a lame member of the audience would feel there were too many characters involved yet the script emerges winner.

Reiterating the point that Krish has taken Tollywood to the next level, his 'Vedam' is a genesis that other film makers will start to contemplate about. He has touched every aspect of life be it religion or money and carefully conveyed a message about good living. This movie is a clear winner and any rating will only be too less. Hats off Radha Krishna!

I was really surprised to see the lead actors giving such a great performance. Hats off to them Arjun & Manoj. Both should be appreciated coming forward for such a fantastic film. Krish made a wonderful second flick after Gamyam. He dealt the subject very neatly and precisely. Nothing is more and nothing is less.

After coming out of the theater I felt watching whole of the life in it. Thanks to Krish for presenting such a great film.

If you want to watch a good film, Watch VEDAM. Feel the LIFE.

Believe me you will miss something if you don't watch this movie!!

My rating would be 9/10