Vanmam takes audiences back to rustic milieu

Two daredevil heroes, one girl, a whole village of ruffians – well, you get the drift.

The title just about says what to expect of Vanmam, the new Vijay Sethupathi release, his sixth film this year although the last three had him in special or fleeting appearances. All about vengeance, the film is set in a rustic milieu and has what in appearance looks like a typical ‘Sasikumar’ movie. Two daredevil heroes, one girl, a whole village of ruffians – well, you get the drift.

But then, this being Vijay Sethupathi, expectations are high. Seldom has the actor let audiences down. He has the uncanny knack of surprising viewers with a totally self-immersed style of acting that you often miss the star in the making and marvel at the actor at his best.

Earlier in the year, the star of the cult-movies Pizza and Soodhu Kavvum had made a definite impression with Rummy and Pannaiyarum Padminiyum, but the fire of the earlier films has been sorely lacking. There was something of a Sethupathi fatigue and typecasting setting in and it was time to reinvent himself.

On the face of it Vanmam might not offer any major departure from the movies we haven’t already seen. Vijay, however, says that the film offered him a big challenge – to get the Nagercoil accent right. Set in Nagercoil, from where the director Jai Krishna hails, the film is also set to give a new identity to Sunaina, the lead actress. Having played the village belle with absolute ease, she says the film will make audiences see her from a different perspective.

Essentially the story of two friends – Vijay’s counterpart being played by Kreshna, Vanmam goes through the entire works; a daring romance, friendship being challenged and armies of villains pouncing upon the heroes. For Jai Krishna, however, this is a make or break deal. Having assisted Kamal Haasan earlier, Jai is making his debut at a good 50 plus year of age. There is so much experience he has amassed from working with real stalwarts, and when he pens his debut film, it will obviously bring with it unique insights that only hands-on industry experience provides.

Vanmam has been about three years in the making – not the filming per se – but the elaborate planning, the wait for the dates of the producers and actors, and the works. But Jai says bagging Vijay Sethupathi for the role was worth the wait, with both Vijay and Kreshna immediately warming up to the characters. It was Jai’s choice to set the film in Nagercoil, a town that he knows by heart. Naturally, he has dipped into the domain knowledge to present the place from the vantage viewpoint of a local resident.

With music by S Thaman, Vanmam is a movie made for the masses with a touch of class. If it reminds you of Subrahmaniapuram and the films that brought in a new trend to Tamil cinema, Jai Krishna would have done his homework well. The film is now playing at theatres in the UAE.