Nobody asked for my review- Vaazha
This weekend I watched Vaazha. Read on to find out my thoughts about this film.
Vaazha: Biopic of a Billion Boys
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| Vaazha- Biopic of a Billion Boys (2024) |
'Vaazha’ literally means a banana plant in Malayalam. Metaphorically, it refers to unfruitful or good-for-nothing children.
Its most popular usage is in a Malayalam adage, one which most people would have heard in their childhood from their parents: "Ninneyokke undaakkunna nerathu oru 'vaazha' vechirunnenkil oru kolayenkilum kittiyene."
Translation- "Instead of creating you, I should have spent that time to plant a banana sapling, so that I could have at least gotten a bunch of bananas (I could sell and get money from)"
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Vaazha, a coming-of-age dramedy directed by Anand Menen (also known for Gauthamante Radham), is about the lives of five boys. The movie showcases the father-son relationships that these five boys have with their fathers.
The five boys -Ajo Thomas, Moosa, Vishnu Radhakrishnan, Abdul Kalam, and Vivek Anand- become best friends in school. As they grow up, we see them involved in fights with other classmates and standing outside the principal's office as punishment. They're seen as reckless, irresponsible backbenchers who, according to their fathers, are out to spoil each other's lives. Their fathers have to come to the school every time the boys break the rules (which happens frequently). The second half of the movie showcases their transformation from young kids to college students. However, not much changes, as they continue their old habits from school. In short, they were still "Vazhaas" in the eyes of their fathers. Whether they mend their ways and become the sons their father wanted or still remain 'Vazhaas' as the years go by, forms the the rest of the story.
The jokes and one-liners invite us to the movie, while the relatability and the (b)romance keep us engaged throughout the film. It also features a cameo by Basil Joseph, which is an interesting addition to the film.
The songs are beautiful, and all of them enhance the storytelling in the movie. Most of them are upbeat and fun, like the theme song 'Vaazha'and 'Ey Banane' which showcase the boys' carefree time during their school life.
My favorite, though, has to be 'Makane'. Unlike the fun songs in the movie, this song sung by Sooraj Santosh is soulful. The lyrics are an open letter from fathers to their children. Unable to express themselves directly, the song beautifully conveys every father's wish for their sons. It makes you go all maudlin during the most important scenes of the movies, striking the right chord.
All in all, it's a movie about boys( billions of them), their dads, and the society that holds them in it.
I'd definitely recommend you to watch this. Bonus point if you watch it with your dads.
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