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Vambuchanda Movie Review |
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| Behindwoods
Movie Review Board |
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Cast:
Sathyaraj, Uday Kiran, Riyaz Khan, Diya, Raj Kapoor
Direction: Raj Kapoor
Music: D. Imman
Production: Jai Mataji Cine Combines |
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Five
songs, an equal number of fights, throw in a little romance,
a little glamour, a little sentiment, some slapstick and something
that resembles a plot and there you have it- - a perfect formula
movie. The ingredients remain constant but the only question
to ask of Vambuchanda is if the script and the execution do
enough to hold your attention through the movie. The makers
haven’t tried hiding their obvious intentions at attempting
a tried and tested mix for the nth time. |
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Vambuchanda begins as a love story, takes a detour about
halfway through, and turns into a political tussle between
two men that ends in tragedy, (with the eventual face
off and payback). For fairly formulaic fare, Vambuchanda
at times isn’t as predictable in spite of the
regular irking clichés. Uday Kiran and Diya are
in love and it is just like any other routine screen
romance with generously distributed song and dance numbers.
You settle into another run of the mill parents vs.
lovers story but surprisingly their love finds acceptance.
That’s when the story really takes off. Uday Kiran
discovers that Livingston (who plays his dad) is really
not his dad (twist #1) and that’s when Sathyaraj
(at long last) enters as a mentally deranged old man.
Flashback- to Sathyaraj’s days as a strict election
officer whose tiff with a political kingpin played by
Fefsi Vijayan ends with both of them losing their sanity.
Now, do they regain sanity and go for each other’s
throats or do their sons (Uday Kiran and Riyaz Khan)
settle scores for their fathers? This is narrated to
us through many distinctly melodramatic (sometimes passable,
sometimes amusing and sometimes irritating) moments.
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Sathyaraj’s role as the lunatic old man is as
stereotyped as a mental patient’s character
can be. The director tries to evoke a few funny moments
at the expense of Sathyaraj through some contrived
situations but most of them fall flat while some appear
downright ridiculous. Uday Kiran has nothing much
to do and consequently doesn’t grab much attention.
Raj Kapoor as the brother of heroine Diya is an assistant
commissioner and also doubles up as the director of
the film. Diya flits in and out of songs and scenes
making no qualms about the fact that she is there
only for the glamour, a job that she has done boldly.
But if anyone from the cast has left a mark it is
Riyaz Khan. The actor hasn’t been getting roles
worth his talent of late but he impresses here, especially
with his fury and emotion.
Technically, Vambuchanda rises above what a mediocre
masala movie generally delivers. Bulk of the credit
for this should go to V.T.Vijayan’s editing,
with the camera not doing too badly either. Music
doesn’t offer much except for one number, Thaal
Thiravai by Jyothsna and Naresh Iyer that stands out.
Directorially, Raj
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Kapoor’s
effort lacks in vision and attention to detail. There are
certain glaring errors that appear a bit amateurish and should
not be seen in a movie of this budget. Also care should have
been taken to avoid meaningless clichés like the costumes
worn by women at the Ayurvedic resort in Kerala where the
final part of the movie takes place.
As in any such movie the ending to is highly melodramatic
to the point of being testing. But we have seen similar stuff
before, haven’t we? On the business front, Vambuchanda
is a movie clearly aimed at the smaller centers and its fate
will be judged only once it percolates down to the B and C
screens.
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Verdict: Cliché-ridden
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