Vaanam Kottattum Review: Has the Heart in the Right Place!

When you have a simple, archetypal plot to work with for a film, how do you make it better? Dhana Sekaran’s Vaanam Kottattum (2020) is a guideline on how to elevate an age-old script. The film revolves around a family of four. A father serving time for a crime he committed, a mother who takes over the duties of a breadwinner in his absence and their two children.

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Vaanam Kottattum is a family drama and a revenge saga at two distinct points. The story has nothing new to offer but the film makes up for it with its exquisite presentation. While the character development of its four main protagonists fell a bit short off the mark, the subtle nuances and layers that each role has highlights the impact of good writing.

Perhaps being married to each other in reality has an effect on their on-screen relationship, as Sarath Kumar and Raadhika are a scream to watch and they scorch every scene with their intense chemistry. The mark of a good actor is when they can speak volumes without even saying a line and this duo radiate an enchanting energy with just their body language.

Raadhika’s portrayal of a matriarch struggling to make ends meet, and then much later, a staunch pillar to her husband’s idealistic notions of family is bold, powerful yet subtle. Aishwarya Rajesh and Vikram Prabhu are fine actors and they breeze through the film effortlessly with their charming, bodacious screen presence.

However the brilliance of these dedicated performances is punctuated by a weak screenplay, slow-moving in its entirety, draggy in many parts and a climax that would have sunk in better if it was fleshed out instead of rushed. Certain characters were totally unnecessary and they only curtail the pace and narration of a film that is already slow the begin with.

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Vaanam Kottattum showcases the struggles of a family as they overcome their personal trials and tribulations individually and together as a unit. It’s either a hit or a miss for the audience and that depends on whether the individual has the patience to sit through a slow linear narration that may not have high moments to offer but has its heart in the right place.

Rating – 3.25/5 | Grade – B

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