Vada Chennai Movie Review
Vada Chennai Movie Review

Vetrimaran and Dhanush always share a great rapport. It was evident in Polladhavan and Aadukalam. The way they came up with hard-hitting stories that was engaging and provided audience several goose bump moments. Obviously expectation meter went high when they announced coming together for Vada Chennai. As the title suggested it was set in North Chennai and more about the gang war in their area.

Vetrimaran seems to have won the battle even before he started the show. Not just a quality performer in Dhanush, he has Aishwarya Rajesh, Andrea, Kishore, Samuthirakani, Ameer to name a few who has got inside the skin of their characters to deliver a stunning show. And the greatest contribution comes in the form of Santosh Narayanan, His BGM are not just terrific but takes the movie to another level.

Though there are shades of Aadukalam and Pudhupet in Dhanush’s character in Vada Chennai, the way the National award winning actor presents the same takes the movie to new heights. He is cool and casual in the beginning. He shows anger, agony, frustration, cheat, deceit, love all in the movie what the script demands.

He is the real winner. He merits watching the movie for his performance. A period film begins in 2000 and travels back to 80s. Coming to the movie, Anbu (Dhanush) a carrom player in North Madras.

Vada Chennai Movie Review
Vada Chennai Movie Review

There is Guna (Samuthirakani), Senthil (Kishore), Velu (Pavan) and Pazhani (Dheena). The movie begins with them killking a gangster. Then cut to present.The four men have become rivals – Guna and Velu on one side and Senthil and Pazhani on the other.

Anbu (Dhanush) goes to jail for a petty crime. Fearing problems with Guna’s aide Siva (Pavel Navageethan), Anbu gets closer to Senthil’s gang and even wins his heart, There is Padma (Aishwarya Rajesh) in the locality who Anbu loves.

There is a murder followed by a story on Rajan (Ameer), the leader of the fishermen, and Chandra (Andrea Jeremiah). Amidst all plats and sub-plots it is eventually Anbu against Guna, Senthil, Velu and Pazhani. What happens then forms the climax.

Vetrimaran’s writing is the key. He has detailed o the gang war in Vada Chennai besides the life and travails in prison. There is love portion that has come out well. Call it a surprise as Ameer pulls it off in a role that was initially written for Vijay Sethupathi.

Note worthy performance by Ameer, Samuthirakani, Daniel Balaji and Kishore made the movie an engrossed. The leading ladies Aishwarya Rajesh and Andrea have given their best so far. Though the background details could have been more punchy and Vetrimaran seems to have missed on intricacies like he did in Visaranai or Aaduakalam, year Vada Chennai is a good show.

Verdict : Vada Chennai – Attack & counter attack

Rating: 3.75/5

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