Valiyavan Movie Review

March 27, 2015

2 minutes read

Review Overview

Performances

Screenplay & Direction

Technical Aspects & BGM

Middling wannabe entertainer

After the impressive promos which were doing the rounds, Valiyavan looked like a safe bet for Jai. Sadly, things don’t go as planned and the film ends up becoming a middling watch, to say the least.

Cast: Jai, Andrea, Bala Saravanan, Azhagam Perumal & others

Cinematography: Dinesh Krishnan

Editing: Mohaideen Subarak

Stunts: Stun Siva

PRO: Nikkil Murugan

Written & Directed by Saravanan

Producer: KN Sampath for SK Studios

Release Date: 27-03-2015

Run Time: 02:19:00

This review of Valiyavan is free of spoilers.

Not always do you see a bankable two film old director making an absolute mess out of his third film. In the case of M.Saravanan, the unwanted has happened. After the impressive promos which were doing the rounds, Valiyavan looked like a safe bet for Jai. Sadly, things don’t go as planned and the film ends up becoming a middling watch, to say the least.

Jai is Vinod, a simple individual who has a white collar job. When love comes into his life, things take a turn, only to return to square one with the protagonist settling scores. Valiyavan had a promising premise which could have turned into a decent commercial fare. But the end product is a half-baked one, brimming with a humdrum love track, straight-faced comics and a clichéd, emotional flashback. One does really ponder over what was going through Saravanan’s brain while penning the initial portions in the film. After a promising first scene, the film goes bonkers in the name of entertainment, only to provide you with lewd comedy and unnecessary loverboy duets. When you beg the director to give you an ounce of the basic plot, he tosses out a cretinous flashback which tests your patience. If not for the climax which finally gives you something worth your money, this would have been a yawnfest.

Valiyavan is saved by its lead pair, Jai and Andrea. While the former is more of his usual self, the latter looks ravishing onscreen, albeit slotting herself into the club of the older looking ladies. It is nice to see a heroine who mostly played second fiddle, gifted with the lead role. Apart from them, the supporting cast has no great shakes.

Dinesh Krishnan’s camera does deliver some effective visuals, but the sloppy editing makes a two-hour film look draggy. D.Imman’s songs don’t come to the party, but it is the spine-chilling theme tracks which raise the mercury when needed.

Apart from teaching you how not to make a commercial film, Valiyavan makes you appreciate the ones who came up with decent entertainers. Doubts prevail over Jai’s script selection technique which is now hanging by a thread. Hate saying this, but is not nice to see Saravanan’s graph nose-diving after an impressive debut in EngeyumEppodhum. He should stop, take a breather and start again.