Ajith & Trisha’s Action Thriller is Lost With Romance

RATING – 2/5*

Vidaamuyarchi Review Movie Talkies:

Ajith and Trisha team up for Vidaamuyarchi, directed by Magizh Thirumeni. The film begins as a romantic drama centered around a husband and wife, but then transforms into a thriller. By the time you settle into this new premise, the film shifts its focus to a suspenseful drama based on a racket. Before you can start to consume that, it turns out to be a mass action flick. Tell me, how can a film be so diverse every half hour and end up becoming a mess of multiple genres?

Vidaamuyarchi Story

Vidaamuyarchi starts off with a happily married couple, Arjun (Ajith Kumar) and his wife, Kayal (Trisha Krishnan). Twelve years after the marriage, the two begin to create distance between them, and Kayal asks for a divorce. Arjun accepts and requests one final drive with her as she prepares to move to her parents’ house. During the ride, Kayal is kidnapped by a gang. When Arjun finds the culprits, he is told that it was all orchestrated by his wife. The gang leader gives Arjun a second chance and demands he arrange Rs. 8 crore for his life, and ultimately, his wife’s life as well. Will Arjun be able to escape this trap?

Based on Jonathan Mostow’s Breakdown, this adaptation also has issues with the screenplay. The emotional connection with the characters is missing, as they fail to evoke sympathy in your hearts. Kayal is having an extramarital affair, so it doesn’t really matter if she reconciles with Arjun again; and even if she does, why should Arjun take her back? He didn’t engage in any illicit activity, so just for the sake of love…? Wait, that sounds too generous and feminist. Arjun was a simple common man; then how did he suddenly become so violent and skilled in combat? Just half of Deepika’s face is burned with acid, and she dies the next minute—really? The cops working for villains have become a regular joke nowadays. It is not about how many times the film attempts to transition into a new genre; it’s about how messy and confused it appears during those moments

This isn’t a performance-driven film, so better not expect anything that good from the leading duo or the other cast members. Ajith, trying to portray a poor, helpless guy, isn’t suitable for his image, and when he starts banging baddies, it looks forced. The performance is fairly decent, but nothing notable. Trisha is the same married woman we have seen portray before, so there is no variety from her side either. Regina Cassandra is too attractive to suit a cruel villain; Arjun Sarja’s looks work and nothing else. Arav, Nikhil Nair, Ganesh Saravanan, and Dasarathi walk out without much effort on display. There is not much for the rest of the supporting cast, so let’s skip mentioning them.

Vidaamuyarchi‘s first half takes too long to set the plot. The second half is faster-paced and more engaging, with action scenes serving as a saving grace. That action block inside the car is the major highlight. Om Prakash’s cinematography is strictly okay, while Srikanth’s editing should have been more effective in the first half. The production design was much better than other mindless South masala films. Coming to Magizh Thirumeni’s direction, this is where the film faltered the most. It seems to be lost in its own mess of whether to become a niche romantic drama-thriller or a massy action-thriller. Magizh wraps things up in a hurry toward the end, which is an indication of an incompetent vision. Overall, Vidaamuyarchi has a few moments of standard heroism for Ajith’s fans, but for that, they have to endure the rest of the poor show.