Varanam Ayiram is perhaps one of the most awaited films of the year (well, for almost 2 years), thanks to the Gautham-Surya-Harris combo. Ignoring all the cautions from friends who had caught the film earlier, I saw the film which was indeed a test of patience.
The entire film is about Surya’s reminences of his dead father, but Surya talks much of his love life, rather than his relationship with his dad.This obviously doesnt engage the viewers with the emotions which a son undergoes at the loss of his dad.
Surya gives an extraordinary perfomance in a double role. Also, he mostly flaunts bare chested after building a six pack. Though not a great looker, Sameera is fresh and refreshing. Simran and Divya just dont impress.
The first half is pretty good, thanks to the soundtrack and Surya-Sameera scenes, keeping apart several logical blunders. But the second half is almost a punishment. Surya who gets addicted to drugs, quits it soon after a little lecture from dad. Then he goes to Kashmir for unknown reasons.This one and the Rescue scenes in Delhi seem endless. He then builds a six pack (again from dads advice) and enters the Army, and becomes a Major in the very next scene(owing to his six pack?).The film desperately drags towards the climax and we are subjected to witness another irrelevant lengthy rescue action sequence.
Harris’s background score reminds of Forrest Gump, especially during the credits. The songs, are the biggest saving grace of the film. After all, Varanam Aayiram seems as though the director had dumped few unfinished scipts into one single movie.