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Vaazha movie review: Remember all those moments when it felt like the ground was collapsing beneath you, dragging you down as your parents’ words or actions left deep and painful scars? Remember all those times when you felt like your parents shouldn’t have said or done what they did? Remember all those times when you thought that an apology from them might have eased the pain, preventing the scar from festering as it does now? But they haven’t acknowledged their mistakes or admitted they messed up yet, right? And those scars still sting every time they dismiss or deny their role in causing them. Director Anand Menen’s coming-of-age comedy Vaazha tells the story of a group of young men, their experiences with these lasting wounds and how they find comfort in their shared bond.
Ajo (Siju Sunny), Vishnu (Amith Mohan Rajeswari), Moosa (Joemon Jyothir), Abdul Kalam (Anuraj OB) and Vivek (Saaf) have been backbenchers since Class 1 and close friends throughout. If the smoke of trouble arises anywhere in their school, it’s a safe bet that these five hold the flambeau and one of them will somehow, un/knowingly, turn the smoke into a fire. For their fathers, visiting the school has become a routine since they’re called in almost every day. Under pressure from their families to excel academically, these five, who aren’t particularly strong in their studies, end up “shattering their parents’ dreams”. Their families label them Vaazhas (a term that literally means plantain trees but is used colloquially to describe people considered useless). They find solace and happiness only in each other’s company, which leads them to attend the same college as well.
However, as their problems escalate, their parents take drastic measures, causing a rift in the respective households. Over time, their families continue to blame and ridicule them for being “Vaazhas” because they haven’t secured jobs even after reaching mid-20s. The wounds caused by constant humiliation, scolding and guilt continue to burn. As they begin to accept that they might indeed be “Vaazhas,” the question remains: will their parents step up and offer them a shoulder to lean on finally? This forms the remainder of the movie.
While Vaazha might evoke laughter and nostalgia for many, a major issue with the film is its blatant glorification of male irresponsibility and a carefree attitude that often impacts others. Portraying these behaviours as humorous or endearing does nothing to change the fact that others had to suffer for the gang’s actions. Whether it’s the schoolgirl whose education was affected because the group hid the cover of an adult movie disc in her bag to avoid getting caught, her boyfriend who was beaten up when he confronted them about the same, the lecturer they assaulted in college for no reason or their parents who are forced to hang their heads in shame due to their children’s behaviour, it’s completely senseless to use academic and familial pressure as an excuse for their actions.
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For too long, manchildren have dominated the screens as lovable, good-hearted protagonists. While Vaazha does show them facing some consequences for their actions, the film’s gaze, which ultimately forgives all their wrongdoings, is problematic. Even if we assume that Anand Menen and Vipin Das (director of Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey and Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil), who wrote the story, screenplay and dialogues for Vaazha and co-produced the movie, had the best intentions, the film’s failure to emphasise the fact that these five too are part of the problem is something that cannot be overlooked, especially since its tagline says “biopic of a billion boys”.
For humour, Vaazha mostly relies on nostalgia and, obviously, the typical reactions such boys among the “billion” they are discussing would have in similar situations, along with their bromance. While this approach works to some extent and might resonate more during a collective watch with friends, it’s doubtful that these jokes would have the same effect when watching alone. Despite the makers’ efforts to pack the script with moments giving déjà vu, humour and a touch of sentimentality and drama, Vaazha’s script is undeniably weak, as it never goes beyond the superficial.
At one point, Vishnu breaks down and jumps off a building after a fight with his father over one of his actions. However, the film doesn’t clearly explain why he takes such a drastic step this time, given that he’s always run into trouble. The movie also touches on the lives of the girl and her boyfriend, who were affected by the adult film disc incident; they get married and eventually divorce. But why is this subplot included? How are these two stories connected? The film doesn’t provide proper answers. Vaazha also briefly explores Ajo’s love interest Maya and her father issues, only to abandon her character soon without adding anything meaningful to the story. We also see the parents eventually changing their attitudes toward their kids, beginning to understand the latter’s perspective. But how did this change of heart happen? The film doesn’t clearly emphasise this and the reasoning provided is definitely insufficient and feels like convenient writing. Although Vipin’s script had the potential for more depth, his heavy reliance on the bond between the five friends and the comedic events in their lives ultimately backfires. While Anand has managed to turn the written material into an engaging watch, his lack of judgment in the aforementioned areas has indeed affected the overall quality of the movie.
While Siju, Joemon and Anuraj deliver good performances, Amith, unfortunately, goes over the top at times, with his acting in the breakdown scene coming across as borderline comical. Saaf’s acting too falls short on several occasions. However, the seasoned actors — Jagadish, Kottayam Nazeer and Azees Nedumangad — compensate for the weaker moments from the younger cast and fully embrace their roles. Jagadish’s emotional breakdown towards the end, Nazeer’s confrontation with Amith, and Azees, out of shame, hitting Siju in a hospital are standout moments that showcase the exceptional talent of these veterans. Basil Joseph, in a guest role, and social media content creator Hashiree, in an extended cameo, also deliver what’s expected from them.
Kannan Mohan’s editing is outstanding, especially in the way it seamlessly crosscuts between different timelines and deserves special recognition. Aravind Puthussery’s cinematography complements the film well, as does the work of the music team. Babu Pillai’s production design and Aswathy Jayakumar’s costumes effectively establish the different eras that the narrative explores.
Vaazha movie cast: Siju Sunny, Joemon Jyothir, Jagadish, Kottayam Nazeer, Azees Nedumangad, Amith Mohan Rajeswari
Vaazha movie director: Anand Menen
Vaazha movie rating: 2 stars
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