Review: Vaazhai - Truthful and Brave

 

Movie: Vaazhai
Rating: 3/5

Cast: Ponvel, Raghul, Nikhila Vimal, Kalaiyarasan, Dhivya Duraisamy and Others

Director: Mari Selvaraj

Produced By: Disney+ Hotstar, Navvi Studios, Farmer's Master Plan Production 

Streaming On: Disney+ Hotstar

Story:

Sivanaindhaan (Ponvel) and Sekar (Raghul) are two boys attending school. On weekends, they and other families from their village work as laborers at the banana plantations. Sivanaindhaan has a crush on his teacher, Poongodi (Nikhila Vimal). As the narrative of Vaazhai progresses, it reveals the experiences of these young boys, who find themselves dealing with the delicate balance between their childhood innocence and the challenges imposed by their demanding work.

Performances:

Ponvel and Raghul provide outstanding performances that captivate the audience. Their chemistry on screen is exceptional, with Ponvel particularly excelling as he bears most of the emotional burden. Nikhila Vimal effectively portrays the role of the compassionate, understanding, and appealing village teacher. Additionally, Kalaiyarasan and Dhivya Duraisamy also deliver commendable performances.

What worked for the film:

Vaazhai, inspired by Mari Selvaraj's real-life experiences, is a film intricately connected to his homeland. The film tells a tragic story from the perspective of Sivanaindhan, a schoolboy residing with his mother and sister in the village of Puliyankulam, located near Tirunelveli, the film's lead character. Mari shows how the labor involved in transporting banana plantains is grueling and how painful it is for kids like Sivanaindhan and his close friend, who do not want to work on holidays. The hilarious interactions between Sivanaindhaan and his friend about Rajini and Kamal pay off well. The cute interactions between Poongodi and Sivanaindhaan also came out well, though they sometimes appear too good to believe.
Along with these pleasant moments, the plight of the villagers/laborers who work very hard and have to strike for a Rs 1 hike in their wages is equally important. Sivanaindhaan's family interactions are also good. The film's most important and hard-hitting part is the climax, where an unfortunate incident is shown most effectively.

What did not work for the film:

The problem with Vaazhai is it is so preoccupied with depicting a stark contrast between the oppressed and the influential figures of the village that it neglects to incorporate any nuances or complexities. Also, except for the film's main character, Sivanaindhan, and his friend, the other characters get less development. Kalaiyarasan's character and Divya Dhuraisamy, who played Sivanaindhan's sister, should have got more importance in the narrative. Vaazhai also suffers from unclear tone, as it takes a lot of time to get to the point.

Vaazhai Review and Verdict:

Vaazhai is a neatly made coming-of-age drama with a hard-hitting climax. The film has a few issues, but the excellent performance by Ponvel, supported by Raghu, Kalaiyarasan, and Nikhila Vimal, along with intense taking at the crucial scenes, makes it a decent watch.