Veetla Vishesham movie review: RJ Balaji's coming-of-age moment in a serious remake of Badhaai Ho

Language: Tamil Veetla Vishesham is not a frame-by-frame replica of the Bollywood hit Badhaai Ho. Sure, the film retains a lot – scenes, and even a few shots. But a lot has been changed too; even what the film has retained feels very different from Badhaai Ho. That’s a great quality for a remake to have, regardless of whether the changes work or not, for it shows an attempt to look at the story with new eyes. The biggest difference is that Veelta Vishesham feels far more serious than it’s Bollywood counterpart. VV is probably RJB’s most solemn film yet, surprising because it’s the remake of a dramedy. Despite having actors with a unique comedic style like Urvashi, Sathyaraj, and RJ Balaji himself, VV is low on humour and high on drama. The change in tone is disconcerting mainly due to the looming shadow of Badhaai Ho and the comedic potential of the lead cast. There’s a funny sequence where Sowmya (Aparna Balamurali) comes over to Elango’s (RJ Balaji) house, navigating the million eyes on her way. Another hilarious example is where Unnikrishnan insists in speaking English to Sowmya. You wish the film had more moments like these. Nevertheless, it’s commendable that Veetla Vishesham makes a few necessary changes. VV doesn’t want to be loud and clear. This works in moments of social relevance like when the film touches upon our clet discomfort to discuss anything remotely related to sex. But it fails in the emotional moments where some subtlety would have played better.

However, it is commendable that Veetla Visesham clearly avoids the anti-abortion stance that Badhaai Ho took. The choice to have a baby or terminate is an incredibly personal choice that every woman should be free to make. It’s great that Veetla Vishesham doesn’t antagonise one option to glorify another. The film also goes beyond to touch upon the double standards we have when it comes to sexuality. While the woman is condemned and shamed, the man is celebrated for his ‘prowess’.

Veetla Vishesham sees RJB in his most solemn avatar yet – the film feels like a coming-of-age moment for the RJ turned actor-director.

It’s clear that he wants to be taken seriously and go beyond being the funny guy. Veetla Visesham is a good start. The film looks good. (Cinematography by Karthik Muthukumar) I particularly liked Girishh’s charming soundtrack even though it feels like an extension of his album work and his previous film with Balaji, Mookuthi Amman. But Sathyaraj and Oorvashi feel miscast. Despite having cute moments, they don’t share the warm chemistry that Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao had in Badhaai Ho. We hear a lot of the love and fondness Krishnaveni and Unni have for each other. But we don’t see a lot of it, and maybe we could have. Veetla Vishesham is a charming watch with its shares of hits and misses. But as it is with most remakes, Veetla Vishesham works better as a standalone film watched with a pair of fresh eyes. Veetla Vishesham is playing in cinemas

Ashameera Aiyappan is a film journalist who writes about Indian cinema with a focus on South Indian films. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.