Vaade Kaavaali Review

Of all the releases slated for today, only Vaade Kaavaali has made it to the theatres.  In all praise for the guts of the makers, we offer our kudos to them.  Starring Sairam Shankar, the film is well-presented and well-written.  Especially, its dialogues are simple but effective.  However, the film, like the previous of Sairam's film Bumper Offer, slackens in the second half.  This turns out to be its biggest disadvantage, though the narration scrapes through the restrained performance of the young actor.

One could say that after Bumper Offer, where Sairam did not get to enact too many emotions, Vaade Kaavaali offers him a unique opportunity with a performance-oriented role.  And the rugged actor tries to carry it with panache, faltering occasionally, when it comes to emoting the agony of longing.

Hema (Suhasi) is a normal girl, whose obsession with astrology and palmistry are pretty old-fashioned.  She would not like people being untruthful with her.  Well, not just this, there is more to her.  She has a dream boy.  The teenager had met a boy in a temple in the year 1993, and today, in 2009, she wants to meet him and love, marry him.  It is in this spirit that she celebrates all marriage proposals going bust.  So, does she meet him finally?

On the other end, Anand (Sairam) is a happy-go-lucky guy who keeps lecturing the various ways of tricking the girls into falling for boys.  Some of his mantras are cool: before a girl with brains, praise about beauty and before a girl of beauty, praise her intelligence.  After the thesis, his characterisation turns usually routine.  Again, there is more to this youngster who sometimes speaks soft porn with the girls who come to secure a job in his father's company: he wants to meet the girl of his life whom he has not met despite philandering so many all along.  Will he finally bump into her?

Destiny has it that they cross paths.  There is a twist.  Hema can't have a place in her heart for anyone except Abhiram, whom she has not met since 15 years.  Anand just can't imagine life without her.  On the sage advice of Hema's relative, Anand makes her believe that he is in fact the guy she has been searching for.

He is not comfortable with cheating on her.  Though he knows that his love is true, it is excruciating to him to face Hema.  Will Anand want to tell her the truth and relieve the baggage sitting heavy on his heart?  What is Hema's reaction going to be?

Screenplay in the first half is adequate.  The film turns predictable and dreary in half-two.  There is no much enthusiasm in the story, as the audience lose interest towards the climax.  If you have watched films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and umpteen flicks inspired by it, there is no reason why you should even sit through the latter part.

As already mentioned, Sairam gives a good one, but he needs to improve on certain emotions. Suhasi has average looks and her performance too is so-so.  Naresh's (Sairam's father) body language seems a rip off of Rajendra Prasad's in Aa Naluguru and Me Shreyobhilashi.  The comedy track involving Venu Madhav and Raghu Babu doesn't tickle the funny bone. 

RP Patnaik's tunes sound good, but not original.  His background score is up-to-the-mark.

All in all, Vaade Kavali is watchable if you are desperate for a break from the political commotion in the state.

Released on : 11th Dec, 2009