Vaazha 2 Review: Packed with Youth Connect

BOTTOM LINE
Packed with Youth Connect

RATING
2.75/5

Story, Screenplay, Direction: Savin SA
Cast: Vinayak V, Aaradhya Sai, Veda Shankar, Aju Varghese, Alphonse Puthren, Ajin Joy
Music Director: Ankit Menon
DOP: Akhil Lailasuran
Editor: Kannan Mohan
Producer: Vipin Das, Harris Desom, Sahu Garapati, P.B Anish, Adarsh Narayan, Icon Studios
Production Company: Imagin Cinemas, WBTS Productions, Shine Screens, Signature Studios, Icon Studios
U.S. Distributor: Prime Media

What Is the Film About?

Vaala 2: Biopic Of Billion Bros is a coming-of-age dramedy featuring four youngsters. Hashir, Alan, Vinayak, and Ajin are school friends. They always get into trouble, which results in issues with their teachers. One such incident, in fact, leads to police intervention.

How do the four friends grow apart after leaving school? The harsh realities of life they face, and the realisation and life lessons they pass on to their siblings, form the movie’s basic plot.

Performances

A movie like this needs the casting to be pitch-perfect. We have that here where the leads look the part, and so are the family members and the rest.

Hashir, Alan, Vinayak and Ajin perfectly fit the parts they play. Everyone gets moments to shine, be it fun or drama. The portrayal of growing up, which is essential for the drama to work, is convincingly done by these four guys without going overboard or over the top.

All said and done, it is the final stretch of pre-climax and climax, where all the drama unfolds, that the youngsters score the most. They are expressive and lift the proceedings with their act. It is a good outing for everyone, and one needs to see how each individual proceeds next.

Analysis

Savin SA directs Vaala: Biopic Of Billion Bros. It is a coming-of-age drama featuring youngsters. The story here is a simple one about four individuals who initially make the gravest mistakes, then realise their mistakes and grow up.

Storywise, Vaala doesn’t offer anything new. We had a similar outing recently, too, which went in a different direction. And there have been a few before it, too. It is not the subject that is the mainstay here; it’s how the familiar subject is handled and presented that makes the difference.

The ‘difference’ in presentation is felt within the first few minutes. The way the sibling relationship is portrayed at the start begins things on a fresh note. The emotion brought out between the brothers and the family, in general (the fish track), works instantly in the opening block itself.

However, what follows next, typical of Malayalam cinema, is that time is taken to show the world elaborately, and the various characters and their dynamics drag on. Some sequences feel repetitive and overdone. We get the point, but things seem to go on and on.

It is only towards the interval that some urgency is brought into the narrative as the drama escalates. One looks forward to seeing what else is there and the redeeming factor for these four guys.

The second half is where the real drama lies. It begins slowly, mixing fun and emotion. And as the narrative progresses towards the end, the latter clearly starts to dominate. There is fun too, but some of it is lost in translation in the Telugu dub. The “Premam” reference, for example.

The friends are the mainstay of the project, helping the movie avoid both cliches and formulaic tendencies. They make many simple scenes work with their bromance.

The actual content itself is relatable and helps one engage with the proceedings. It is more so for the Malayalis, though, given the context here. Still, the underlying emotions are the same, and they connect despite the nativity challenges.

The final stretch from pre-climax to climax is where the movie’s heart lies. We know there will be an emotional turnaround. It is common with these narratives that we see that here as well. But they land well.

All the siblings’ equations are handled neatly, without any dramatic loudness. Each one delivers the message without being preachy or overbearing. They are integrated into the drama, giving a fresh feel.

In the end, there is an emotional satisfaction and fulfilling feeling despite the issues (length and nativity) and familiarity with the basic story at hand. And that’s where Vaala 2: Biopic of Billion Bros succeeds.

Overall, Vaala 2: Biopic Of Billion Bros comes with a familiar set-up and story. We know where things are headed, but the movie delivers to its target audience. There is an instant connection that helps sail through the proceedings despite the issues, and it ends on a satisfying note. If you like youthful dramas, go ahead and try it.

Performances by Others Actors

The movie is filled with bits and pieces of roles which are essayed naturally by various artists. All the actors playing parents are done effectively and convincingly. So are the teachers. Vinayaka’s father easily stands out among the crowd, but others, too, are fine and manage to register even though they have a shorter run time.

Angel Maria is good in a brief role as Hashir’s love interest. Alphonse Puthren, appearing in a supporting part, is a hoot.

Music and Other Departments?

An assorted set of composers provides the film’s music. The sound is nice, but the lyrical impact is lost in translation in Telugu dubbing. The background score is good overall, but some parts are too loud and drown out the dialogue. The cinematography typical of Malayalam movies in this space is good.

The editing is neat and gives a slick vibe to the proceedings. Given the various tracks involving four characters, the narrative could have easily bloated—credit, therefore, to the editing for keeping things sharp. The writing is okay.

Highlights?

Casting

Performances

Emotional Payoff

Relatable Content

Direction

Drawbacks?

Familiar Story

Drags Initially

Feels Lengthy

BGM (At Times)

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes. The emotions work out well in the end.

Will You Recommend It?

Yes. If one likes the youthful coming-of-age stories, even if they are predictable storywise.

Vaazha 2 Telugu Movie Reviewed by Kalyan

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