Vimanam movie review: The Samuthirakani, Anasuya Bharadwaj starrer is a routine and predictable family drama with a good climax

2.5/5

Story:

Veerayya(Samuthirakani) is handicapped and a single father who lives in a slum. His son's (Raju) only dream is to travel on a flight at least once in his lifetime. But the twist in the arises when the little kid is diagnosed with blood cancer. A heartbroken Veerayaa then decides to fulfill his son's last wish. Well, how does a poor and handicapped person accomplish this is the story of Vimanam.

Review

Vimanam is directed by Siva Prasad Yanala and deals with the story of a helpless single father going all out to fulfill his son's last wish. Such stories have been dealt in multiple movies before but Samuthirakani, who plays the main lead makes Vimanam look different at the outset. The popular actor plays a positive role for the first time and gives a memorable performance.

The entire story is based on the father-son relationship and how emotionally they are attached. But director Siva Prasad takes forever to enter the main plot. The daily life of Samuthirakani, the parallel tracks of Anasuya Bharadwaj and Rahul Ramakrishna eat up the screen time. The poverty issues, doting father taking care of his son are narrated in a neat manner, but they are predictable and bring nothing new to the table.

Anasuya Bharadwaj as the sex worker adds depth to the table but her track derails the film's proceedings. The emotions between the father and son are relatable and there are a few heart-breaking scenes which leave a lump in your throat during the interval block. A scene where a few youngsters rob Samuthirakani's hard-owned money and how he breaks down is superbly executed.

The last twenty minutes of the film are quite emotional and are neatly showcased by the director. The ending is also heartbreaking and the manner in which the entire flight journey is showcased through Meera Jasmine's character is well thought off. Vimanam looks intense because of Smauthirakani's sincere performance. All these years, we have seen him in negative roles and for the first time, he plays a character which needed innocence and positive thinking and Samuthirakani hits it out of the park.

Master Dhruvan who plays Raju gives a memorable performance. It is his acting which gives the film an edge till the end. But where does Vimanam falter? One of the key conflicts in the film is the kid getting diagnosed with cancer. Already, the audience is invested in the father and son relationship, and one would think gripping emotional scenes would be showcased once the father comes to know about his son's disease. But that does not happen as the drama is not elevated properly. The way Smuthirakani's character reacts does not move you.

In the climax too, the key ending is brought up with a simple scene. In a way, Vimanam has so much scope to present the old story in a new way and create solid emotional moments for the audience. But that does not happen as the proceedings are slow in the first half and parallel tracks bore the audience. Vimanam leaves you with a feeling that something was missing in the whole narrative.

Rahul Ramakrishna and Dhanraj get good roles and they perform well in their limitations. Vivek Kalepu’s cinematography is exceptional, capturing the essence of the film, and Charan Arjun’s music plays a pivotal role in intensifying the emotional scenes. The editing in the first half is not that great and one of the biggest let down's is the screenplay which does not arrest you till the end despite having a very relatable plot.

Verdict

On the whole, Vimanam is an old school father-son story which has a moving last twenty minutes. But to enjoy these moments, one has to go through a boring first half, predictable melodrama, and parallel tracks which have no depth making this film a below average watch this weekend.