‘Vaalu’ starts with a ‘thanks card’ to ‘Ilaya Thalapathi’ Vijay only to become an eulogy on Ajith, as the STR-starrer film has too many references to the ‘Ajith’.
Critically, the movie directed by Vijay Chander, which was lying in the cans for close to three years, is a masala stuff, which provides ‘whistling moments’ to STR and Ajith fans.
STR’s screen presence and his chemistry with not just Hansika, but also with Santhanam, make ‘Vaalu’ watchable. But lack of twists and turns make it a routine affair too.
The story is about Vaalu aka Sharp (STR), who is a happy-go-lucky youngster who doesn’t have fear or worries. One fine day, he sees Priya (Hansika) and immediately falls in love.
Impressed by his good nature, Priya accepts Sharp’s love, but confesses about her parent’s decision to get her married off to a maternal uncle Anbu (Aditya).
As Anbu is a powerful thug and businessman in the locality, the rest is about how Sharp wins him over to catch hold of Priya’s hands.
Though some scenes look outdated and the look of lead actors change often, ‘Vaalu’ is impressive in parts, and kudos to STR-Vijay Chander team for that.
STR is a live wire, while Hansika is your regular heroine. But she does perform. Santhanam’s smart one-liners tickle the funny bone.
Songs are peppy, and cinematography by Shakthi is good. Suresh scores with his scissors (editing).
On the whole, ‘Vaalu’ is a routine commercial entertainer which can be watched to see STR’s comeback and Santhanam’s funny acts.
Rating: 2.6 out of 5
Verdict: Tail on head