Movie: Viswam
Rating: 2/5
Banner: People Media Factory, Chitralayam Studios
Cast: Gopichand, Kavya Thapar, Jisshu Sengupta, Naresh, Sunil, Pragathi, Kick Shyam, VTV Ganesh, Vennela Kishore, Srikanth Iyengar, Rahul Ramakrishna, Pruthvi, Mukesh Rishi and others
Music: Chaitan Bharadwaj
DOP: K V Guhan
Editor: Amar Reddy Kudumula
Production Designer: Kiran Kumar Manne
Stunts: Ravi Verma, Dinesh Subbarayan
Produced by: TG Vishwa Prasad & Venu Donepudi
Written and Directed by: Sreenu Vaitla
Release Date: October 11, 2024
Both director Sreenu Vaitla and actor Gopichand are going through challenging phases in their careers, and they need a hit to make a comeback. Viswam marks their first collaboration. Does this film offer them any relief?
Let’s explore its strengths and weaknesses.
Story:
Gopi (Gopichand) introduces himself as a cab driver in Milan to film stylist Samaira (Kavya Thapar). He falls in love with her.
Back in Hyderabad, he poses as the son of the brother of Jolly Reddy (Prudhvi) and becomes close to Samiara’s family. But his true purpose is to safeguard Baby Darshana, who is under threat from a politician because she witnessed the murder.
What is his connection with Darshana? Who is Gopi, actually?
Artistes’ Performances:
Even talented actors can feel lost when their roles lack clarity, and this seems to be the case for the cast of Viswam, including the lead actor Gopichand. He plays his role with a laid-back approach.
Kavya Thapar adds glamour in the songs but appears lost in the regular scenes, merely doing what is required.
Among the comedy actors, Prudhvi's portrayal of Jolly Reddy and Vennela Kishore's performance are decent.
Jisshu Sengupta, unfortunately, comes across as more of an ordinary fighter than an international terrorist, reflecting the poor characterisation of the villain.
On a positive note, the girl who played Baby Darshana is charming and cute.
Technical Excellence:
The film benefits from its visuals, thanks to the foreign locations and KV Guhan’s cinematography. The Samaira song is also visually vibrant on screen.
However, the dialogues are formulaic, and the other technical departments have delivered standard outputs.
Highlights:
A Few comedy scenes
Production Values
Drawback:
Outdated writing and direction
Old formula
No emotional connection
Analysis
Director Sreenu Vaitla, once known for reinventing action entertainers by blending comedy with fast-paced action in films like Dookudu, has recently lost his touch. His narrative style has become repetitive, leading to multiple flops.
In promotional interviews for Viswam, Vaitla claimed that he had carefully studied contemporary trends and adapted his storytelling to appeal to modern audiences. However, it is clear that he has not only failed to update himself but also hasn’t fully recaptured the essence of his earlier style.
His concepts feel entirely outdated. The formula of using comedy, musical numbers, and action sequences for the majority of the film while saving the main plot for the final hour is no longer effective. Yet, Vaitla repeats the same approach. Had the comedy worked, the film might have been tolerable.
Instead, Vaitla remixes elements from his past successes, like the Dookudu storyline of the hero meeting the heroine in a foreign country and the Venky train episode. While those scenes were hilarious in their original films, they fall flat here.
Except for a couple of decent episodes featuring Prudhvi, the entire first half feels silly, and the second half shows no improvement. The comedy track involving Vennela Kishore and VTV Ganesh in a train episode is fine.
Once the flashback is revealed and the hero’s true identity is uncovered, it becomes obvious that Vaitla and his writing team have simply recycled old ideas. Even the villain is portrayed in a ridiculous manner.
The only redeeming elements are a few comedy scenes and a song.
Overall, Viswam is a complete outdated film. Sreenu Vaitla’s storytelling and ideas are in desperate need of a fresh upgrade. He continues to rehash old concepts, and this film is yet another example of his decline.
Bottom line: Recycled