VEERA DHEERA SOORAN - MY 2 PAISA OVATION

Everytime I have heard the term ‘Veera Dheera Sooran’, my mind had traced to the song with the same name in the Dhanush starrer ‘Naane Varuven’. The raw, rustily textured Yuvan Shankar Raja’s voice fill my ears to my utmost pleasure. But after watching this movie starring Chiyaan Vikram, things definitely have changed in me. I will no longer associate the said phrase with the Yuvan song, but this wonderfully made, albeit with all its flaws, action thriller, that hit the screens last Friday amid postponement speculations. So, how was the movie? What were its strengths, weaknesses and the overall impact that it leaves on you? Keep reading, to find out!

Let me start my article by saying this. On screen, Veera Dheera Sooran is a complete one-man show. Chiyaan Vikram shoulders the heavy script, carries it all the way to fruition. Behind the camera though, it is a different scenario altogether. The entire technical team, right from the writer-director, the cinematographer, the art director deserves an ovation for the outstanding individual contributions that have gelled together so well to make the project what it is. To start with the writing, the crux of the story is simple. Infact, too simple, if you try to put in one-liner terms. An yesteryear henchman is approached by his old boss for a favor, which would involve significant impacts to his family. How he navigates the complex situation when things go sideways, and if or how he protects himself and his innocent family forms the rest of the story. 

Applause where it is deserved, the writing is crisp for the most parts. ‘Most parts’ is an important word here. The story does not linger around non-necessities. It gets off the mark and to the point right away. Even when it does loiter around, we easily forgive it, citing the commercial cinema requisites that our cinema ecosystem has built. Couple it with the no-nonsense making of SU Arunkumar, the tricks work like a charm. The cast that the director has chosen is outstanding, if nothing. Dushara Vijayan is an important actor to forward to in Tamil cinema. Her performance in the movie is excellence in itself. Given the short duration that she gets on screen, she puts out a memorable performance. She leaves her mark in us. It is quite a puzzle how she manages to pull off every character with such conviction, starting with Renee from Natchiram Nagargiradhu or Mariyamma from Sarpatta Parambarai. I found her role in Vettaiyan, the Rajnikant starrer, though small, impressive. And her victory lap continues in this movie too. Other supporting characters played by SJ Suryah and Suraj Venjaramoodu shine, with the director exploring the not so loud side of SJ Suryah, the actor. We would love to see you in these not-so-loud characters more, SJ Suryah. 

There is not much to complain about the beautiful photography by Theni Eshwar either. The frames are still photographs in themselves. I understand that it is not really easy to show rural Tamilnadu in a commercially cinematic way. And the cinematographer along with the art director deserves the applause. There is a sequence in the movie, which I recount as about 5 mins long, taken in a single shot. And it is not a dormant, suave sequence either. A lot happens in it, in fact, it is an action sequence with cars exploding, people fighting and fires breaking out. Brilliant as an adjective would be an understatement. The team’s decision to co-ordinate and make this difficult sequence in a single shot would have required a lot of drawing room talks. And boy, they aced it!

However, it is not a bed of roses all over. The movie comes with its fair share of shortcomings as well. I would like start this section with the obvious category. Music. In a decade, GV Prakash’s music has transcended from being pleasant to the ears to jarring, overtly loud and incoherent. Let us forget about the songs for a moment. The background score is okay, dismal at times. Never once in the movie does it complement or elevate the action that happens on screen. I would imagine that snipping Thiruchitrambalam’s soundtrack might not have been an option, as it was with GVP’s previous outing, ‘Nilavukku En Mel Ennadi Kobam’. Remember me telling you how the writing for crisp for the ‘most parts’? A few parts in the movie could have very well been cut off and thrown out. For instance the opening song that not only drags the pace of the movie down, but also lessens the tension that the movie had created so far. Film makers should look to opt out of this cliched making tricks atleast by now. 

Now, what verdict can be passed? If you are a fan of action thrillers, or you enjoy a serious movie watching session where most of today’s non-senses do not exist, Veera Dheera Sooran would be a perfect way to spend a couple of hours this weekend. Be fairly warned, it requires your constant attention,  even the slightest of the details have been spewn around as easter eggs that show up later in the movie and take the centre-stage. KGF fans can comfortably stay away, there will not be an Instagram reel every five minutes in this solid action thriller.

Diamonds for Veera Dheera Sooran?

3.5/5 

⭐⭐⭐ ½