Prabhu is making all the right noises the past few years. It’s probably what you’d call …organic. He’s well past his Andhiyile Vanam days, and not capable of such merry moves either.
And so, the actor is slowly slipping into a now familiar role: that of filling the vast vacuum his father left behind. He’s either the burly inspector in a fleeting guest role or the stoic naatamai, the caste-loving oor thalaivar, the venerable panchayat leader …you get the drift. He might not quite be his father in miniature, but the signs are all there. Prabhu knows where he’s headed: the Thevar Magan Sivaji with a disappointing child or two, a love affair that he must frown upon, a family feud that would eventually kill him, and the accompanying emotions that must flit across his face. In Vetrivel, which is pretty much an unsophisticated copy of Thevar Magan with a few changes, Prabhu is all that, and more. Never mind the old tale, the tiring rural subjects, or the horrible roles which are a few decades old, the actor functions quite well as the slighted, victimised village chief.
*****
Sasikumar is the eponymous hero of Vetrivel, in love with Janani, a Malayalee woman (Mia George) who has to have that distinct accent, and a streak of sandal for emphasis. He doesn’t believe in education, but wants Janani – a research scholar – to fall in love with him. He woos her with some creepy staring, and by setting up an organic grocery store overnight (she works at an agricultural research institute, you see). He also ruins this nice Ilaiyaraaja song in the process by making it his ringtone.
Naturally, Janani falls hard for him.
Enter Vetrivel’s brother who needs his help to marry the love of his life. What Vetri does next would surprise you.
Or not. He stages a kidnapping so that the brother can marry his girl, kidnaps the wrong girl, forgoes his love and marries her so that her honour isn’t besmirched, fights his wife’s former fiance and mother-in-law (who also happens to be the village chief’s evil step-sister), and finally emerges victorious – Malayalee girl and his ringtone all forgotten.
Recommended
So finally, when his wife sings as the end credits roll – to the tunes of D Imman –
Onnapola oruthana na paarthathey illa… (I’ve never seen someone quite like you)
– in a nice, glorious melody, we can’t help but agree with her.
*****
The Vetrivel review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.