In one of the scenes in Achan Oru Vazha Vechu (we will get back to the title later), we have an FM channel head talking about a hit program in their rival channel. And she says, look at the selection of their topics. Full of innovation and stuff. And guess what? The only thing we heard so far was those folks (rival FM station RJs) bashing their parents on live radio. In another scene, our central character Sachu’s friend asks him to look at the positivity his son spreads among people. The director, Saandeep, decides to show two cringe-heavy scenes where this son is passing chits with positivity to an old lady waiting in front of a ration shop and a guy who is mad at his girlfriend. If the content mentioned above excites you, you can confidently book tickets for this cinematic torture.
Our main characters are Prathyush and his father, Sachidanandan, aka Sachu. Krishna is Prathyush’s mother, and Damayanthi is his best friend and colleague. By the way, Prathyush and Damayanthi are a hit RJ duo. Sachu, being an outdated father with typical expectations from his son, always maintained a strained relationship with Prathyush. What we see in Achan Oru Vazha Vechu is the changes in that family when Sachu decides to do something outlandish to make his son learn his responsibilities.
First and foremost, I have heard what Mr. AV Anoop, the producer and the hero of this movie, said in an interview about the catchiness of the title. Ya, I do agree that all publicity is good publicity, but please keep in mind the awkwardness one might feel at the ticket counter. Well, the movie is this outdated love and life lecture narrated by people who have no idea about the lifestyle and choices of youngsters. That typical boomer gaze on the younger generation and how they put themselves on a moral high ground is evident in every frame. Looking at the number of young folks in that cast, I was like, can’t any of them tell the makers that the younger audience won’t find this depiction of themselves relatable at all.
The movie’s second half is where the big reveals are happening, and the film practically becomes AV Anoop’s Legend. He is this guy in his 50s or 60s wearing flashy clothes, riding expensive bikes, and dating divorced women. And you have this silly rivalry developing between the father and son as the father suddenly becomes a competing RJ in another FM station. The songs are included in the movie unnecessarily, and some are not contributing to the film by any means. The makers are very clear that the content will not make people come to the theater. Hence, we have a slew of influencers and YouTubers appearing on the screen as either characters or as themselves.
About the acting of AV Anoop, especially in the second half, I would only quote Bharatha Muni; “Mangalasheele, rasavisthruthikk angam muzhuvan thunakku venda.” Niranj Maniyanpilla Raju also struggles to deliver the lines correctly, and the expressions are also quite overdone. The scene where he and Athmeeya Rajan fight had me looking at the screen exactly the way Pachalam Bhasi looked at Rajappan during training. Athmeeya is cute and energetic when the character acts like this bundle of care. But she fails miserably in the emotional bits. Johny Antony is the standard comic relief. Shanthi Krishna, as the wife, gets this routine role. Appani Sarath, Fukru, Shyam Mohan, Lenaa, Ashwin Mathew, Kulappulli Leela, and many more are on the long list of cast members, along with cameos by Mukesh and Dhyan Sreenivasan.
If someone asks me what the movie is about, I am actually a bit clueless. The movie’s posters and promo materials were trying to portray the father as a great guy. But Achan Oru Vazha Vechu shows the same father as a mess who couldn’t even do one thing properly. And if you look at the son’s character arc, he kind of maintains the insensitive Vazha status even at the end of the movie.
Well, the movie is this outdated love and life lecture narrated by people who have no idea about the lifestyle and choices of youngsters.
Green: Recommended Content
Orange: The In-Between Ones
Red: Not Recommended
