Film: "Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam"; Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Soori, Sri Divya, Sathyaraj, Sri Ranjini and Bindu Madhavi; Director: Ponram; Rating: ***
With four back-to-back hits, Sivakarthikeyan must have realised that his strength lies in comedy and in making films that appeal to masses more than multiplex-goers. He has got it right one more time with his latest film "Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam" (VVS) that more or less, follows the same path of several of his own films and eventually, triumphs.
Even though you know there is no scope for a story in the film, you can't ignore the fact that it entertains from the word go.
Set in a village called Silukkuvarpatti in Tamil Nadu, VVS is the story of a group of wastrels lead by Bosepandi (Sivakarthikeyan) and his loyal sidekick Soori. They spend most of their time eating, sleeping and interfering in matters that don't require their involvement.
Bosepandi is attracted to Kalyani, played by Bindu Madhavi, a school teacher. He seeks the help of Lathapandi (Sri Divya), a class 12 student in the same school, to deliver love letters from him to Kalyani. As time goes by, Kalyani gets married to someone, leaving Bosepandi heartbroken.
Meanwhile, Lathapandi's father arranges for her wedding, but she is still a minor. When Bosepandi comes to learn about the marriage, he seeks the help of police to stop the teen marriage. When the wedding is called off, a relieved Latha falls for Bose.
What happens between Latha and Bose? This forms the rest of the story of the film.
VVS is an out-and-out comedy entertainer that delivers what it promises. It's a film that expects audiences to sit back and enjoy. Without focusing too much on its story, VVS gives us a simple, slice-of-rural-love story that rides solely on the roles played by Siva and Soori.
The film, knowingly or unknowingly, subtly addresses a few issues prevalent in rural places. One such issue is teen marriage, and we realise that director Ponram cleverly uses comedy. It's impossible to address a domestic issue nowadays without earning criticism, but Ponram deserves credit for pulling it off successfully.
But even before you finish lauding the director, you're in for a surprise. Latha's marriage gets called off at the first place because she is a minor, but she gets married to Bosepandi a few months later. All this makes one wonder what happened to the concept of not supporting teen marriage? Has it been thrown out of the window? This whole episode looked like it was conveniently written for the purpose of uniting the lead couple.
The comedy is supremely complemented by Siva and Soori in their respective roles. They hit it off quite well as a successful pair that entertains from the second they appear on screen. Both of them have some wonderful lines that make up for some cliched moments in the film.
Sathyaraj turns in a highly amusing performance, while debutant Sri Divya's role is limited, but she rises up to the occasion with a polished act.
While the film's biggest strength are its dialogues, its lengthy second half tests the audience's patience. Even though the twist in the climax brings a smile on your face, you walk out with the feeling that it came too late.
VVS reeks of rural entertainment and it predominantly works for the masses, but if you have been a follower of rural culture and lifestyle, you are likely to enjoy it more.
