Vineeth Sreenivasan And His Brand Of Filmmaking (image: instagram.com/vineeth84)Expectations are soaring high for Vineeth Sreenivasan’s Varshangalkku Shesham. Inspired by two screenplays written by his father, actor-screenplay writer Sreenivasan, the story is primarily set in 1970s Kodambakkam and delves into people’s aspiration to cinema, the making and breaking of dreams, and the theme of friendships. The movie presents a stellar star cast featuring Pranav Mohanlal, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Nivin Pauly, and Basil Joseph.
The ordinariness in Vineeth Sreenivasan movie appeals the viewers. The story is not unknown, and neither are the characters. Its familiarity attracts an audience. And the touch of humour piques their interest. Whether it be his first movie, Malarvadi Arts Club, Thattathin Marayathu, or Hridayam, the humour drives the storytelling.
The freshness brought to the narrative through the placement of actors. His eye for spotting talents is well-known. When a bunch of newcomers came with the movie Malarvadi Arts Club, its actors, including Nivin Pauly, Aju Varghese, Bhagath Manuel, and many others, offered fresh perspective on the trials of youth and the routines of life. In Thira, by choosing Shobana to play Dr. Rohini the serious subject matter of child trafficking was handled and communicated through the striking and remarkable performance of veteran actress. Similarly, in Hridayam, since the first-look posters of Darsana Rajendran, Pranav Mohanlal, and Kalyani Priyadarshan got released, it generated interest among viewers.
The romanticising of relationships is another characteristic of Vineeth Sreenivasan movies. Though filmmaker’s ideal portrayal of relationships has faced criticism, his style of ‘feel-goodness’ has a separate fan base. The romantic relationships explored in Thattathin Marayathu, and Hridayam; the father-son relationship explored in Jacobinte Swargarajyam and Hridayam; or elements of friendships explored in many of his movies, all echoes the narrative that everything is “well and good.” Aside from this, there is also the romanticising of places and indulgence in nostalgia. However, these narrative and thematic frameworks sit skillfully well with the psyche of a normal Malayali audience. When there is a lot of chaos and tension going on in “real world”, the audience may like to think for a while that “everything is well and good” at least in the “reel world”.
In old-school storytelling, a message at the end, or giving life lessons to cherish or to follow, still garners likeability and appreciation. Vineeth Sreenivasan’s storytelling offers that. In all the beautiful depictions and memorable scenes, the filmmaker offers thoughts to ponder and carry on even after viewing the movie. A larger section of his movie audience, particularly youngsters, likes such messages. Besides, whether it be Vinod’s journey in Thattathin Marayathu, Naveen’s journey in Thira, Jerry’s journey in Jacobinte Swargarajyam, or Arun’s journey in Hridayam, the naive youngster in Vineeth Sreenivasan’s movie matures as an adult in due course of the movie’s journey. However, though women in his movies have stories to tell and character arcs to develop, the filmmaker falls short on that front.
As Varshangalkku Shesham hits screens on April 11, undeniably it will reflect Vineeth Sreenivasan brand of filmmaking, but will it savour the audience hopes? The coming days will tell.