Viswasam Review: Ajith and Nayanthara’s film is another half-baked attempt

It is quite surprising to see Ajith associating with ‘Siruthai’ Siva four times in a row, especially when the director hasn’t given blockbuster hit like Aijth’s film Mankatha. In the past, they have teamed up for Veeram, Vedalam, and Vivegam. Now, their fourth outing Viswasam is out in theatres for his fans.

It has been one and a half years since Ajith’s last film Vivegam hit the screens and his ardent fans have been waiting with bated breath to watch Viswasam. Director ‘Siruthai’ Siva’s Viswasam doesn’t have a strong story, but a couple of intriguing characters that keeps us hooked.

Viswasam starts off with a feud in the village of Koduvilarpatti as to whether ‘thiruvizha’ can be held or not. Cue: Ajith’s ‘mass’ entry as Thooku Dorai and he convinces everyone with his speech and by staring at his enemy. His big family starts their prep for the thiruvizha and realize that Dorai and his wife Niranjana (Nayanthara) have been separated for 10 years.

Dorai goes to Mumbai, where Niranjana owns a pharmaceutical company, to reunite with her and daughter Swetha (Baby Anikha). However, his situation is complicated when antagonist Jagapati Babu poses a threat to Swetha. The rest of the story follows Thooku Dorai cracking the mystery behind the threat.

Viswasam could have been a cliched rural entertainer if the director had paid attention to his screenplay. There are a lot of needless sequences that do not contribute to the story in any possible way. Towards the climax, Siva seems to have packed some emotion, which should have been established from the beginning.

The film’s runtime (2 hours and 45 minutes) tests our patience every now and then. Siva builds up a scene slowly and makes the audience expect some ‘bang-on’ moment. But, every time he messes it up by placing unnecessary songs, which are not pleasant on the ears at all.

Ajith’s role is one of the most fun characters he has portrayed in the last couple of years. Though he seems to have had fun playing the role of Thooku Dorai, it looked off in a few places. But, he managed to get it right in the second half, where he puts his flamboyant character on display.

Nayanthara as doctor Niranjana has a well-rounded character in the movie. She chooses family over academics and sticks by it until an untoward incident turns her life upside down. She looks so perfect in every scene, so much so that not even a single strand of hair is out of place. Baby Anikha is the best performer in Viswaam as she played her role with elan. Her expressions are flawless and make us empathize with her.

Viswasam had aplenty of mass moments, but it lacked a solid backstory. When the big reveal happens, you think that it is quite silly to fight over something which could have been sorted easily. The pre-climax and climax portions are the huge plus points of Viswasam. The director has captured the father-daughter sentiment quite naturally and it is heart-warming to see Ajith as a doting father yet again.

Composer D Imman’s songs act as speed-breaker, but he scores with his brilliant background score. It is safe to say that his work on BGM is one of his best till date.

Viswasam may appeal to emotional people, but it tests your patience before you get to the point where you can see some real emotions from the lead characters.