Varshangalkku Shesham Review: In Vineeth Sreenivasan’s Story On Dasan And Vijayan, Nivin Pauly Steals The Show

Dasan and Vijayan in Nadodikkattu are familiar to all Malayali movie audiences. We still cherish their dialogue, silly fights, and dreams of the future. Then there was Dasan and Vijayan; now, decades later, there is Vineeth Sreenivasan’s Venu (Dhyan Sreenivasan) and Murali (Pranav Mohanlal) in Varshangalkku Shesham.

Venu and Murali met first at a mehfil night, and the former realised latter’s music potential when he played harmonium and violin for a drama performance onstage. Murali possesses charm, and his music enthralls the audience, while Venu’s genius lies in his writing. Both became friends and became the best cheerleaders for each other. They belong to a time where artists’ greatest aspiration is “cinema” and carry a staunch sense of belief that reaching Madras (Chennai) makes them a step closer to it. As there are innumerable stories around movie life in Madras, movie enthusiasts and technicians living in Kodambakkam, and Swami’s Lodge, the stories in around the place fall primarily into two categories: those who make or do not make it in movies. Will Venu and Murali make movies, or if they do, will they survive? Will the duo’s friendship endure the test of their divergent fates at the movies? Will their dream of making a movie or working together ever come true? Vineeth Sreenivasan offers an emotional ride through Venu and Murali’s journey over the course of their lives.

Venu and Murali are each other’s muse, though they do not realise the extent of one’s influence on each other for a long time. Vineeth Sreenivasan attempts to communicate the bromance in each scene, and Dhyan Sreenivasan and Pranav Mohanlal try their best to build camaraderie. Yet, there are gaps; the portrayal of effortlessness and ease in a relationship still falls short. When Dhyan Sreenivasan goes mostly for composed acting—in dialogues and in body movements—Pranav, in turn, is letting loose in gestures and actions. Dhyan is different—he is not the “new media” star you witness in YouTube interviews—and it is visible. Knowingly or unknowingly, the filmmaker in certain scenes allowed Pranav to linger on his “famous father’s” mannerisms, and it felt flat and cumbersome. The shades of angry-young man, broodiness resulting from the disheartening experiences, and then-emerging composed and mature man—the character arc that Pranav played in a way in his previous film Hridayam (a Vineeth Sreenivasan directorial) is finding recurrence in this movie as well.

However, amidst all the acting efforts by these two actors, the scene stealer was Nivin Pauly and his short monologue in the movie. It is refreshing to see the witty side of Nivin Pauly back on screen. His monologue, answering the criticism he himself, as an actor, encountered in recent years and the funny take on it, offers a great laugh. It is like the actor is back on his home turf, and it is beautiful to watch the partnership that actor-director Nivin Pauly-Vineeth Sreenivasan shares transform into screens, even it was for a brief time. Besides, instances of self-trolling by actors themselves, and the practices in cinema are also laugh worthy.

And this Vineeth Sreenivasan film is a reunion; most of the actors in his earlier films (which we will lost count) find presence in this movie, and there is an introduction of Shaan Rahman and Neeta Pillai at the acting front. Meanwhile, Kalyani Priyadarshan’s character (Annie) has nothing much to offer in this bromance tale. The filmmaker’s romantic relationship with the place, Chennai, is also explored through a different take in Varshangalkku Shesham – tracing  yesteryear Madras and movie business in the city. The filmmaker’s love for food is seen in glimpses in the mention of sambar sadam, parippuvada, and eating meals together. The music also deserves mention in Varshangalkku Shesham. Amrit Ramnath’s music connects the movie like an emotional cord. “Nyabagam” is running background at certain scenes, and in the past and present, it attunes well in the movie portions and the song is going to stay with music lovers.

Timeline Rating:  3/5