Vishwak review: A patience-testing tale of a frustrated youngster and his misdirected anger

Venu Mulkala’s film is a never-ending rant that takes on systemic issues, joblessness, brain drain

Vishwak

Story:

Vishwak is under immense pressure from his parents to settle abroad and earn big money. Just when he looks set to leave for the US, he drops his plan and commences a startup in the energy sector. Meanwhile, in another village, a farmer is against the idea of migrating to the city for livelihood despite mounting debts. Will they taste success with their choices amidst opposition from near and dear?

Review:

Vishwak, a tale around a frustrated youth and his inability to make a mark in his career, tries to be an Akali Rajyam-equivalent for this generation with the angst of an Arjun Reddy. The drama addresses several issues youngsters face as they try to chase their ambitions and how they come to a grinding halt owing to systemic issues, parental opposition and peer pressure.

Ignoring its rant-like treatment for a moment, the film tells a story quite relevant for the times. It tries to discuss the core issues behind a youngsters’ quest to move abroad in search of greener pastures, how a corrupted system does little to foster their entrepreneurial spirit, with parental clashes, absence of a strong moral support contributing to their agony.

The parallels between an urban youngster and a rural farmer and their reluctance to leave their home turf are quite interesting. The story is ultimately about two men who want to make a mark in their lives on their own terms. Instead of personalising both the subplots, the director brings the society into the picture and is desperate to send a message down your throat.

It trivialises its own premise by comparing student and farmer suicides and does little to address any of the problems honestly. Beyond a point, the film only succeeds in playing the blame game - the protagonist accuses everyone around him for failing in his career - women, parents, system, country, NRIs. He goes to the extent of kidnapping a kid who’s about to leave to US to teach him a lesson.

The confrontations between the urban lad and their parents are silly. You’re compelled to say Vishwak needed to consult a therapist before he took charge of his life. The director has no understanding of the inner workings of a startup - the NRI, with whom Vishwak is in talks for a deal, is portrayed like a 70s villain with flashy costumes.

The film is reasonably tolerable as long as it sticks to the conflicts in the characters’ lives, but goes off track when it seeks to make Vishwak a youth icon (for what?). There’s a kidnap; one youngster after the other keeps ranting about his problems and fight among themselves. There are media debates around patriotism, the birth of a revolution and a song even complains how the country’s best minds - Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai - have made a living in other nations.

Vishwak collapses like a pack of cards not knowing how to take its ideas forward. The film is unintentionally hilarious with its repeated references to dogs in the pre-climax segments. At nearly 160 minutes, it overstays its welcome and is long by at least an hour. As a viewer, one can sense the pain and the agony with which the creator has made the film, but one has to channelise it constructively to make quality art. The amateurishness in the writing is a major dampener.

Ajay Kathurvar’s rebellion and mannerisms are modelled on Arjun Reddy and the performance isn’t sincere, if one had to put it straight. Dimple is only seen in a brief role that isn’t etched well and it would’ve been ideal to understand the conflicts in the relationship from her perspective too. The supporting cast get barely any scope to make any impact and it’s hard to expect much out of them when the material does little to inspire them.

Verdict:

Blend Akali Rajyam, Arjun Reddy in a jar and add a sermon on brain-drain and you’ll get something on the lines of Vishwak. While the premise is quite relevant for the times, the writing is childish and it’s hard to take the film seriously.

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