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Vaalu

Silambarasan’s last film to hit the theatres was Poda Podi back in 2012. That’s when the shoot for Vaalu began but the film took close to three years to see daylight thanks to various issues. Apart from Simbu the cast of Vaalu includes Hansika Motwani, Santhanam, VTV Ganesh and Kannada actor Aditya. Vaalu is directed by debutant Vijay Chander and produced by NIC Arts. Owing to the delays with its release, the film was distributed by T.Rajendar himself under the name of Chimbu Cine Arts. Music is by Thaman and song lyrics are penned by Madan Karky and Simbu.

Vaalu’s storyline isn’t something new to Tamil cinema. It’s a typical commercial film with a blend of action, comedy, sentiment and romance. Simbu is a happy go lucky guy who falls in love with Hansika right at first sight. After becoming friends with her he realizes that she’s already engaged to her relative who unsurprisingly happens to be the villain. Whether Simbu can beat the odds and win Hansika’s heart is the story of Vaalu. This is a tried and tested formula that’s been there for ages and if it wasn’t for some tweaks, it could easily be said as a remake of a yesteryear classic.

Simbu is excellent with his skills as an actor and his dialogue delivery is impeccable. Hansika has given her best with her bubbly character. The amount of time that was taken for the filming to be completed is apparent from changes in her appearance. Santhanam and Simbu’s chemistry works even better than the lead pair’s and along with VTV Ganesh, there is no dearth of hilarious sequences. Aadukalam Naren, with his flawless acting, has become one of the most sought after actor for father characters. Aditya fits perfectly as a villain with his macho and aggressive looks but his character isn’t utilized well to show his potential.

While Thaman’s background scores aren’t noteworthy, a few songs have turned out to be really good. The song Thaaru Maaru was the best out of them in which Simbu enacts the best roles of M.G.R, Rajnikanth and Ajith. This peppy song, with perfectly placed sets, Simbu’s quick steps and T.R crooning the number, is easily the highlight of this film. Talking about Ajith, it’s no secret that Simbu is a huge fan of Thale and in this film he has cemented his devotion with a number of references to Ajith’s films, songs and dialogues. It’s no surprise that the crowd went crazy for these citations.

Cameos from Jai and Brahmanandam were enjoyable. The second half isn’t as racy as the first half and the simple climax gives it a disquieting feel. Overall, Vaalu is a predictable commercial flick saved by the lead pair’s chemistry and the Simbu Santhanam combination. Simbu’s personification and larger than life image is sure to be a treat to his fans.

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