Quick Take | Veeran: Comedy triumphs in this average superhero flick

Filmmaker ARK Saravan made quite an impression on the minds of Tamil movie lovers with Maragatha Naanayam, a treasure hunt movie. Considering its genre, the stand-out elements in that movie were not the mystery or the thrill of the chase but its humour quotient. Saravan had dialled up the comedy in this entertainer to an extent that we never really cared about how the movie ended. More than the ending, the journey was hilarious, pleasing and entertaining. The same could be said about the director's latest movie Veeran. 

Saravan takes a stab at the superhero genre with Veeran. So what's the biggest challenge for filmmakers in India when it comes to exploring superhero movies? Money. Because the filmmakers have to spend a fortune to ensure decent special effects in such movies. And for many years this reason had kept this genre away from the reaches of Indian filmmakers, especially those who work in the small and medium-budget segments. But, as they say, necessity is the mother of all inventions. As our ambitious filmmakers are forced to work with limited resources, they find innovative ways to get things done. 

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Filmmaker Basil Joseph achieved remarkable results with Minnal Murali, which is said to have cost Rs 20 crore to its producer. That's probably way lesser than the promotional budget of some big Bollywood movies. And he pulled off a stunner, challenging all the notions that dictated the terms and conditions of making a superhero movie. Similarly, Saravan takes a leaf out of Basil's playbook. And as an added challenge, it seems Saravan had lesser money than Basil to bring his superhero movie to life. 

Saravan firmly holds our attention with his talent in comedy writing. The movie comes with a pretty big asterisk built into it. You have to give a lot of leeway for this movie. The filmmakers hope that the audience will view the movie more kindly and appreciate the filmmakers for completing this movie on a tight budget. But, as an audience, we don't care what goes on behind the scenes, when the lights go off and the film begins, all we want is entertainment worth every penny of their hard-earned money. 

In that respect, Veeran is a very average superhero movie. The movie begins with Kumaran, a young boy being struck by a lighting. And his father sends him away to his daughter's house in Singapore. 12 years later, Kumaran (Hiphop Tamizha Adhi) wakes up from a nightmare. He has visions of an explosion wiping out his entire village. Cut to the next scene, Kumaran is unpacking his luggage at his ancestral home in India. An underground electricity project is in the works in the village. And that poses a significant threat to the human population living around it. But, greedy corporates don't care. So they want to finish the project at any cost. But, Veeranoor village is their Battle of Stalingrad. While the evil corporates have managed to grab lands from all villages around Veeranoor, they are not able to get past the Veeran temple. Veeran is a mythical figure in the village and he is worshipped as a guardian angel by the villagers. 

After being hit by the lighting, Kumaran becomes a superhero powered by electricity. He can manipulate electromagnetism at different levels and he uses his power to save his native village. But, the highlight of the movie is not Kumaran's electricity powers but its humour. Especially, the scenes when Kumaran manipulates his rivals and makes them do crazy things are a laugh riot. 

There are moments in the movie that are so good that we even look past its shortcomings. It's hard to fully embrace Hiphop Tamizha's portrayal of a superhero, as his performance feels somewhat forced and lacks authenticity. It's only when his character assumes the superhero disguise, donning a mask and cape, that we begin to see glimpses of the superhero mannerisms. The stunt sequences particularly the pre-interval fight have been done wonderfully. 

Veeran has its flaws but it also has its moments. And Saravan deserves a special mention for doing away with unwanted songs.