varvuwhich translates to ‘arrival’ in Malayalam, took its sweet time to arrive in theatres. After several delays, the Shaji Kailas directed film finally released on 16 July. It stars an impressive cast including Joju George, Arjun Ashokan, Murali Gopi, Baiju Santosh, Vaani Vishwanath and Saniya Ayyappan among others, and the trailer promises an intense action thriller. varvu While booking the ticket, it seemed that the tour would be fun. But was that an experience? Let’s find out.

varvu It begins with the arrival of its protagonist, Paulson (JoJu George), and the action begins almost immediately aboard the bus in which he is travelling. The slow-motion punches, goons flying in the air and broken glass initially create the impression of a stylish, high-octane entertainer. Unfortunately, that promise doesn’t last long.

Paulson is returning to his hometown from prison on 10-day parole because his sister Daisy, a nun, is leaving for Italy soon. Both of them are searching for their younger brother, Willie (Arjun), who went missing four years ago, just before Paulson was sent to prison. The police investigation is going nowhere and many powerful people in the city have a motive, Paulson, sets out to take revenge with the help of his ride or die friends Papan and Setu.

So, does Paulson know what happened to Willie? Is Willie still alive? Who is behind Willie’s disappearance? Why was Paulson imprisoned? These questions are answered through one of the oldest screenplays in the action thriller genre, which forms the plot of the film. There’s masala, there’s action, and the film tries to be a thriller, but it provides little entertainment with its barely engaging plot.

Often, we talk about how difficult it has become to write for the thriller genre because audiences today have a broader exposure to the format. They often predict what will happen next. Still, when a film forces its audience to question their own principles, it becomes instantly engaging.

However, author AK Sajan has written one of the most common thriller stories varvu. The film doesn’t attempt to be anything more than a standard 90s tragic love story centered on a younger brother and an older brother out for revenge.

Veteran director Shaji Kailash’s approach to filmmaking feels completely out of date. He has tried to add more polish to the film through the use of modern technology, but when the foundation is weak – both in terms of the director’s technique and understanding of the story – then such efforts can be acknowledged, but not appreciated.

The runtime of the film is 143 minutes and at least 20 minutes could have easily been cut. While the first half is a bit more engaging as it sets up the premise, by the interval, it becomes clear that the film is unlikely to impress. The second half plays like a montage of all the important beats needed to take the story to its conclusion. In particular, the climax almost feels as if the team ran out of both budget and shooting days and simply made do with the minimal sequence.

See also

Entertainment

No more love notes for Sanya Malhotra and Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma?

The only redeeming factor in the film are some of its performances, especially Joju George (and his attractive orange-brown lenses). Joju George’s physical presence adds significant value to the action sequences. The actor has conveyed anger, sadness and vulnerability with subtlety, and that is the best part of the film. Murali Gopi, Sukanya, Baiju Santosh and the rest of the cast do what is expected of them.

99.9% of the time, Malayalam cinema excels in the technical departments, even if the content is not that strong. However, with varvuThis is not the case. Cinematographer S Saravanan has tried many things, especially with the action sequences, but none of them complement the story. At certain points, his work is reminiscent of the cinematography seen in Telugu and Tamil films of the 2010s. Sam CS’s music is catchy at moments, but eventually becomes repetitive due to overuse. The editing by Shamir Muhammad is tremendous.

varvu It had all the ingredients to be an entertaining commercial action thriller – a capable cast, an experienced filmmaker and a vengeance-driven premise. Unfortunately, it ruins them all with a painfully predictable script, dated execution, and uninspired technical choices. Apart from a dedicated performance by Joju George and a few action moments, there isn’t much to it. This is an arrival that was not worth the wait.