Rebels without a cause are many. Vedaa is not about them. In Vedaa, every rebel has a purpose—to fight for the right, and seek justice. John Abraham and Sharvari's dynamic in Vedaa is very Kabir Khan-coded (think SRK training the girls in Hockey in Chak De India). As John helps her find strength within and protect herself, Vedaa grows from strength to strength, giving the bad boys a run for their money.
Vedaa Movie: Plot
John plays Major Abhimanyu Kanwar, a soldier at the Gorkha rifles whose rebellious streak and refusal to follow orders blindly leads to him getting court-martialed. Sharvari is Vedaa Berwa, a young girl who is exploited but wants to give it back to the men who are trampling on her rights.
Abhishek Banerjee (who will also be seen in this week's Stree 2) is simply phenomenal as Jitender Pratap Singh. The actor is mostly seen providing comic relief as the male lead's best friend but here, he plays a menacing, unhinged antagonist whose casteist ideals wreck havoc. Banerjee’s bloodshot eyes and deadpan expression, coupled with ruthless antics will remind of his role in Paatal Lok. That Banerjee has two releases this week, where he plays two polar opposite roles, show his incredible range as an actor.
Vedaa Movie: Performances
Sharvari, too, is at the top of her game. She embodies Vedaa's helplessness (initially) and her strength (after she picks up combat skills), perfectly. Her character arc is the most satisfying as she transitions from a girl being subjected to discrimination to a rebel who fights for justice. John, who seems to be capitalizing on his post-Jawaan fame, aces the action scenes even if many of them are simply unrealistic.
While John plays Abhimanyu well, his expression is mostly one-note. The role is very similar to John's role in …takes a deep breath…Batla House, Satyamev Jayate, Dishoom, Attack, Ek Villain, Jawaan (and countless others). Till when will the actor sleepwalk his way through action films and do “ek hi tarah ka role”?
Vedaa Movie: Writing And Direction
Directed by Nikkhil Advani, Vedaa is a welcome change. While most films sacrifice plot for the sake of action, Vedaa does have a story to tell, even if much of its commentary on casteism is too on-the-face, like recent films which deal with the subject. Vedaa doesn’t sacrifice narrative at the altar of cool, slow-motion action sequences. While the songs are mostly forgettable, Mouni Roy does leave a mark in a special appearance for the song ‘Mummy ji’.
By no means is this a perfect film. Vedaa’s idea of feminism is quite flawed. At the end of the day, it is a man who helps Vedaa take control of her life and fight injustice with combat skills. Some of the scenes in the film are provocative. We see the lower caste men rub their noses on the ground—their dehumanization and humiliation is shown in graphic detail (and can be disturbing for many).
Also Read: Sharvari Wagh shares heartfelt post for Vedaa co-actor John Abraham, calls him "Guru"
Vedaa Movie: What Works, What Doesn't
The treatment of caste is not as nuanced as Ayushmann Khurrana’s Article 15. We see a good v/s evil narrative play out where a casteist man degrades the marginalized as opposed to casteism being an everyday occurrence.
Not every upper-caste bigot has devil horns like Jitender Pratap. Many of these are ordinary people whose casteist worldview becomes apparent in the way they treat those around them. Vedaa has thrilling chase sequences, cars toppling over each other and violence—lots of violence. The pace of the film is enough to keep the viewer hooked for 2 hours 30 minute duration. Despite flaws, the film is immensely watchable as an Independence day weekend outing.
Star rating: 3 / 5 stars
Vedaa is now playing in theatres.
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