BOTTOM LINE
Great Concept, Shoddy execution.
RUNNING TIME
160 mins – ‘U’ Rating
OUR RATING
What is Varna about?
A person who truly, madly and deeply loves someone will eventually find his love in this world or in another world, is what the film is all about.
How is lead pairs performance?
Anushka is the lifeline of the film. She emotes well throughout and stays in the character. At times the chubbiness and lack of clarity of director shows in her performance but that is a minor issue. Arya is rawer in comparison and performance is straight in your face. His character has various shades and the best that can be said is he manages to showcase the difference.
How is Selvaraghavan’s direction?
Director Sri Raghava has once again come up with a fantasy based theme after Yuganiki Okkadu and here too like Yuganiki Okkadu the director struggles to present his vision with clarity. Varna in comparison to Yuganiki Okkadu is shot well and there is a smooth flow and assuredness from the director. However it lacks the solid engaging punch and feel required for the film. For a film that takes so much pain to talk about love and feel and traverses worlds to achieve it, the film fails in that emotional connect department which has been a strong forte of the director.
Music and other departments?
Music for the film is provided by Harish Jayaraj where as background score is given by Anirudh Ravichander. Both have done justice to their jobs and they are smoothly integrated into the narrative without giving a jarring feeling. Cinematography by Ramji is excellent. Editing should have been more neatly done especially in second half.
How about Graphics and Visuals?
Varna is a mixed bag in terms of graphics. While the creatures look amateurish and cartoonish, the locations of the second world and its visuals look gorgeous.
Highlights?
Visuals of second world.
Cinematography.
Integration of music.
Few scenes that strike the right chord emotionally.
Drawbacks?
Lack of clarity in theme.
Snail paced narration.
Fights in the second world.
What about its box office prospects?
Given the subject the film has and the way it’s dealt the film is starting with a very limited audience. Even this audience would find it hard to sit through completely which means the film is most likely to collapse post the weekend.
Did I enjoy it?
Yes but partially because it is not often that you get films like these.
Reviewed by Siddhartha
