Vedha Movie Review: Shivarajkumar anchors a dark and brave tale that delivers a strong message

Vedha Movie Review: Shivarajkumar anchors a dark and brave tale that delivers a strong message

Even though Shivanna is the hero, he does not hog all the limelight, and the film is firmly focussed on the women, who are the highlight of Vedha
Rating:(3 / 5)

Revenge is always a powerful plot device in our films, and Shivarajkumar, in his 125th film Vedha, has a wild kind of justice rationale to exact his vengeance. Fans of Shivanna will be ecstatic about the all-out action character he plays in the film. However, interestingly, Shivarajkumar is not playing a character that will be seen in every frame of Vedha. The film is actually a women-centric film, which revolves around a thirst for vengeance, and Shivanna’s unstinting support for the cause.

Director: A Harsha

Cast: Shivarajkumar, Umashree, Ganavi Laxman, Aditi Sagar, Shwetha Chengappa

The story is told by a retired police officer Ramaa (Veena Ponnappa) to her granddaughter, a corporate employee harassed by a man in a mode of public transport. The tale traces incidents that the cop witnessed during her tenure and is centred on Kanaka (Aditi Sagar). After being imprisoned in jail as a juvenile, Kanaka is released to her father, Vedha. A fiery Kanaka, even though battered and traumatised, has a steely resolve and goes on a relentless mission of vengeance along with her father. Who can stop the two, and why are they wreaking havoc is told in a non-linear fashion as we traverse two distinct timelines of the 60s and 80s.

Director Harsha’s signature is all over the film, and his comfort level with his frequent collaborator, Shivanna, is clear in their fourth film together. Without compromising on the commercial elements, Vedha has a new style of narration.

Even though Shivanna is the hero, he does not hog all the limelight, and the film is firmly focussed on the women of the film, who are undoubtedly the highlight of Vedha.

Shivarajkumar, who has two shades in Vedha, mostly speaks with his action and the director has made excellent use of his expressions and body language. The star clearly knows his job, and is only getting better with age. Be it the fiery action sequences, or the cheery dance numbers, Shivanna infuses energy in every frame. Aditi Sagar shines in her debut, and the way she brings to life Harsha’s vision is a testament to her talent.

Ganavi Laxman also sparkles in two shades while Shwetha Chengappa as a sex worker has an important role to play. As long as Umashree is on screen, she laughs and charms with her performance. Director Harsha could have given more importance to the senior actor’s role.  Raghu Shivamogga gets to play a pivotal role while good support comes from Ch. Gurudutt, Manju Pavagada, Govindegowda, Veena Ponnappa, and Rekha. Bharat Sagar. Cheluvaraj, Sanjeev and Vinay Biddappa are excellent as the antagonists.

Set in a village backdrop, and mostly made on the sets, cinematographer J Swamy accentuates the visual quality of the film with his work in natural light, and using dark tones.

The song ‘Gillakko Shiva..’ blends with fight sequences, and moves uninterruptedly in the background. There is something new in Junjappa’s song and Arjun Janya has come up with an innovative background score too.

A period drama, Vedha is dark, brave and sends the message of women empowerment, which still holds good in today’s times.

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