Does focusing entirely on caste issues detract from the critical matter itself? If every aspect seems so unbelievably, implausibly unreal, exaggerated, then must the highlighted problem be similarly perceived? This concern lingers in my mind.
Vedaa Movie Review:
Film: Vedaa Director: Nikkhil Advani Actors: John Abraham, Sharvari Rating: 1.5/5
In the realm of filmmaking, it’s often true that directors who aren’t also the scriptwriters can exhibit noticeable inconsistencies. This is particularly evident in the works of Nikkhil Advani. His directorial acuity seems heavily contingent on the quality of the script he’s handed. Things can either soar to great heights or plummet dismally, depending on the material.
Take, for example, his meticulously crafted series, “Rocket Boys,” which beautifully chronicles the lives of scientists Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai. Contrast this with the wildly uneven “Mumbai Diaries” (2021), meant to depict the harrowing events of 26/11, yet diverges into unrealistic fiction to such an extent that it loses all grounding.
Nikkhil Advani’s previous cinematic venture, “Batla House” (2019), was a competent portrayal of the controversial 2008 encounter. But then we have “Vedaa,” an action film that is nothing short of a disaster – erratic, unhinged, and profoundly removed from its alleged roots in real-life atrocities like the Manoj-Babli honour killings in Haryana and Meenakshi Kumari’s case in Uttar Pradesh involving khap panchayat and Dalit rape.
In “Vedaa,” the narrative is so far off the mark from any semblance of reality that it becomes an arduous task to anchor one’s thoughts or emotions, let alone derive coherent meaning. There’s an utter lack of dramatic relief. Character development is non-existent; everyone starts and finishes their arcs in the exact same state. The setting itself, dominated by ruthless marauders, feels more like a ghost town. Why should the audience engage beyond a basic point of empathy?
A menacing antagonist (Abhishek Banerjee), who serves as the Darth Vader of this exceedingly bleak “Vedaa,” lords over 150 villages in Rajasthan. Vedaa (played by Sharvari) is the spirited heroine trapped in this ludicrous set-up, protected by the silent hero, John Abraham. His character evokes John Wick but falls short in originality. The film stretches over two and a half hours of relentless action sequences, mostly captured in high-speed or slow-motion shots. John Abraham, akin to a tank, obliterates foes and infrastructure alike, emerging nearly unscathed save for a minimal injury to his wrist.
Johnny Bravo, Abraham’s character, is an enigma — a stranger whose motivations remain convoluted.
. He might as well have been contained within a confined space, brawling with generic villains to provide audience catharsis. But why encase this within a veneer of grim reality, particularly situating it in Barmer, Rajasthan, thus compounding its implausibility? The film presents a landscape void of law, governance, press, or judiciary oversight.
This leads to an important question: does focusing the narrative so heavily on caste issues end up undermining the critical social problems it aims to spotlight? When everything in the film appears exaggeratedly unreal, it risks trivializing the real severity of the issues it seeks to address. This imbalance makes one skeptical about the film’s approach to its subject matter.
Granted, this is just a movie. It should be viewed through that lens. As an audience member, I strive to maintain this perspective. Advani undoubtedly has an eye for visuals. Some action scenes are impeccably filmed, like the nocturnal off-roading chases, where John single-handedly takes on the corrupt and the villains, which appears majestic on-screen.
Equally striking is a scene where the heroine faces the local don. The brutal violence transitioning to a distant wide shot renders it more poignant and impactful. However, these moments are solitary highlights in a film that otherwise lacks coherence.
Individually, a few locations, moments, and performances stand out. But there’s hardly a narrative to string them together. Without a coherent script, moving from one highlighted scene to the next seems pointless. The film, at its core, is a series of disjointed sequences that fail to synthesize into a compelling story.
Personally, I found myself disengaging far earlier than anticipated. Despite moments of visual excellence, “Vedaa” struggles under the weight of its scattered narrative and exaggerated approach.
In conclusion, while Nikkhil Advani’s direction occasionally shines, “Vedaa” is a film that fails to deliver on its promising premise, resulting in a convoluted cinematic experience that ultimately does a disservice to the serious sociopolitical issues it seeks to address.
