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Veeran Movie Review: Let me clarify something first. Hiphop Tamizha Aadhi's Veeran is not a remake of Tovino Thomas' cult Malayalam film Minnal Murali. Yes, they are both superhero movies based in a rural setup and both have the same origin stories. But so does The Flash, and no one calls Minnal Murali a remake of that (inspired, yes). Similarly Veeran has a different story and even different set of superpowers to display for its hero. Minnal Murali Movie Review: Tovino Thomas Gives Malayalam Movie Buffs a Superhero Worth Rooting for in Basil Joseph’s Netflix Film.
The differences, however, just don't end there. Minnal Murali does a credible job of setting up a superhero in a naive village, and balances the humour and the superhero elements with finesse. Moreover, the movie had a fascinating antagonist, who was well-fleshed out (I am not ignoring its problematic stance on stalking).
The points that I mentioned in the second para is where, sadly, Veeran, directed by ARK Saravan, fails to leave a mark as a well-made superhero film. But more on that later. Let me tell you first about the plot. When he was a teenager, Kumaran was struck by lightning after he says he refuses to believe in the power of his village deity, Veeran. While the incident leaves him incapacitated for days and even prompts his family to take him away from the village and his friends to Singapore, the accident didn't deal with lasting damage on him. Except that it gives him superpowers.
Twelves years later, a now adult Kumaran (Hiphop Tamizha Aadhi) has returned to his village where he reunites with his friends Sakkarai (Sassi Selvaraj) and Selvi (Athira Raj). In no time, he shows to them that he has two interesting powers. He can control low-voltage electric arcs, and he can even manipulate people as per his will, albeit for about 90 seconds. But there is another reason that he is in the village; he is also getting premonitions that the hamlet will be destroyed in an explosion and Kumaran strongly suspects that a high-powered cable project that is going to happen in the village will be the reason for that.
To stop the catastrophe, Kumaran, along with his friends, uses the myth of Veeran to convince the villagers to act against the project, and utilising his superpowers, becomes the mythical saviour of the village.
Watch the Trailer of Veeran:
As a superhero film, Veeran had a big advantage. After getting the superhero origin plot done away with, when we see Kumaran as an adult, he is already in control of the powers. Unlike in Minnal Murali, where the first half is the hero trying to understand how powerful he is, Kumaran already knows what he can do and what his limitations are. This actually gives the film a major opportunity to develop the characters better and flesh out the conflict well.
Instead, Veeran opts to add more comedy into the narrative. Lot of screentime is devoted to two bumbling villagers, played by Munishkanth and Kaali Venkat, than needed. Some of the humour works, like the scene at the village office where Kumaran hypnotises the village officer to have a craving for onion sambhar. But too much of comedy just spoils the broth and it eats into the far more interesting superhero portions while needlessly stretching the runtime. It is a strange decision by the director to invest so much time in sequences that are pretty unwarranted, right when he has all the necessary elements to be make a well-rounded superhero film. Some of the crucial supporting characters are poorly developed, be it the female lead Selvi and the film's two villains, played by R Badree and Vinay Rai.
Not that the film is devoid of positives. Hiphop Tamizha Aadhi makes for a very decent and rooted superhero, and Sassi Selvaraj does well as his best friend. The pre-interval fight scene where Kumaran embraces the Veeran persona and fights the baddies, and another fight sequence at the police station stand out in the film. Pathu Thala Movie Review: Silambarasan TR's Towering Performance Isn't Enough to Hold Together a Shaky Screenplay.
And then, there are scenes that ruin Veeran's good potential because it doesn't know where to stop. Like the scene when one of the villains arrive at the village deity temple and Kumaran manipulates him to turn a 'bhakt'. It was funny at first, but when the looping sequence just didn't know when to press the pause button, the amusement ceases.
The finale is over-stretched and lack good fight sequences and surprises. Some of the ideas earlier established do not have much of a role later. We learn that Kumaran faints for hours if he uses his telepathy powers too much, but this is ignored in the latter portions of the film. Also, it is told that he can use that power on a person or an animal for about 90 seconds, yet he could control his horse from the confines of the police station without even seeing it for a considerable time. Don't establish the rules if you are in no mood to commit to them.
Final Thoughts
Veeran is a superhero film that has some interesting elements, but it ultimately falls short due to its uneven pacing, underdeveloped characters, and lack of focus. If you are a fan of superhero films, you may want to check it out, but be prepared for a mixed bag.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2023 06:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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