Vedalam has mass appeal

Ajith gives his fans enough reason to cheer with his Diwali release Vedalam.

As box office openers go, Vedalam has cut some impressive new records including a bumper advance booking. The film's opening day collections too have been befitting the star-status of Ajith Kumar, who teams up with director Siva after Veeram.
Also starring Shruti Haasan and Lakshmi Menon, the film is made for the masses and is unapologetic about its positioning.
Vedalam, thus, is family-oriented in depicting the bonding between Dharani (Ajith) and his sister (Lakshmi). Regarded as the most virtuous man by one and all, Dharani slogs it out as a taxi driver to support his sister's education.
Not long after though, the film shifts gears as Dharani brings out his true colours. He is a tough fighter who gets a menacing glee when it comes to chasing down the baddies. And he has reason enough for his rage.
The film thus shifts to the lasting mode of a thriller with a namesake romance that justifies the presence of Shruti Haasan.
While the story might not appear to be novel and if you find parallels in several yesteryear movies including Rajnikanth's Baasha, it could not be intentional.
After all, festive flicks are not meant to be original. They are meant to cash in on the lead actor's charisma and that is what Vedalam does too. Its strength is Ajith with the rest of the cast including Rahul Dev having little to do.
Director Siva milks the star value of Ajith to the full extent giving him different looks, mannerisms and loads of high-wattage action. Anirudh goes all out on the background score to give the film a feel that suits its genre.
Tailored to entertain Ajith fans and also give the rest a 'time-pass' movie, Vedalam is now playing at theatres in the UAE.

• South Stars