The recent movie of John Abraham, Vedaa, directed by Nikkhil Advani, has been released in theatres on August 15, 2024. The movie tries to depict the social problem of caste discrimination in India, at the same time providing the audience with the action and thrill that are expected from a movie starring John Abraham. This Vedaa review will analyse the storyline of the movie, the cast, how the movie was made, and the good and bad aspects of the film.
The movie should be named John, instead of Vedaa. Vedaa, the girl this movie is based on, does nothing impactful in the entire movie, apart from being a Dalit girl and getting trained under John Abraham for boxing.
Every time she faces a problem, either John comes to her rescue or she runs away. This shows the poorly written storyline. While the movie is 2 hours and 30 minutes long, it keeps running at the same pace, the story doesn’t improve, the girl doesn’t fight back, and the hero is everywhere.
Drunken Tailor
Plot Overview
Vedaa is based on the life of Vedaa Berwa, a Dalit law student who suffers from caste discrimination in her village in Rajasthan, portrayed by Sharvari Wagh. The story begins with her being chased by upper caste men and then rescued by Major Abhimanyu Kanwar (John Abraham), a court martialed ex-army officer with a past.
The story is a portrayal of caste violence and the fight of those who are willing to change the system. The concept of the movie is quite daring, as the creators tried to combine satire with the action genre. However, it suffers from the problem of pacing because the screenplay extends the movie’s length, which is not always a good thing. The film is 150 minutes long, and several critics pointed out that the movie could use more rigorous editing to keep the audience’s attention during its length.
Another positive point for Vedaa review is that it tries to touch upon the issue of caste prejudice, which is rarely discussed in Indian movies. The movie does not hesitate to paint the life of the Dalits as it is, for instance, the social status that dominates the lives of Dalit people. For example, there are tender scenes when Vedaa has to beg for water from an upper-caste friend, which shows that prejudices are still very much alive in society.
While the movie is well-intentioned, it fails to serve as a social commentary and, at the same time, cannot be a good action movie. Some scholars have noted that although the film starts with the story of Vedaa, it is often interrupted by the traditional male protagonist’s story, thus erasing the agency of the female protagonist.
This shift detracts from the film’s potential impact, as it sometimes feels like a conventional action flick rather than a story about empowerment and justice.
Performances
John Abraham performs as per the image that has been created of him as an action hero. His character Abhimanyu is shown as an unspeaking hero, and in the fight scenes, he is quite good, but his acting skills are somewhat restrained. Some of the critics have noted that Abraham’s character is rather flat, and the actor does not seem to be able to invest enough in the character to explore its motives.
Well, while talking about Vedaa review , the performance of Sharvari as Vedaa cannot be ignored. Her acting has been widely appreciated in the movie. She is able to portray the transformation of a woman who is oppressed and helpless into a woman who is ready to fight for her rights, especially in the second half of the movie. Nevertheless, some of the reviews state that more attention should have been paid to the development of her character in the first half of the movie because her fighting spirit is overshadowed by the male protagonist.
Jitendra Pratap Singh, played by Abhishek Banerjee, the Pradhan and villain of the movie, is a so-called protector of the caste system. Banerjee’s performance has been praised for its intensity and versatility, which makes him quite a powerful actor on screen.
Speaking of which, Abhishek Bannerjee’s other movie “Stree 2” was released on the same date, and audiences loved his performance in Stree 2 as well. The movie itself has made a huge collection on box office since its opening day.
Read the full story here: Stree 2 Review: Sarkate ka Aatank
Direction and Cinematography
As we move on with Vedaa review, the action sequences in Vedaa bear testimony to Nikkhil Advani’s directorial skills. The fight sequences are well choreographed, and the visuals depict the contrast between the colourful desert of Rajasthan and the brutalities of casteism. However, there are such problems as the slow pace and some inconsistencies of the movie, which make it less effective. Some of the critics have noted that some of the events seem forced, as if the story is following a prescribed structure.
The film’s music, which tries to follow the story, has been critically acclaimed. Some songs, like ‘Zaroorat Se Zyada’, are well received by the audience, while others, like the Holi song, look out of place in the film and start suddenly to a next frame of intense scene. It has been pointed out that the musical numbers are sometimes more of a distraction than a help to the narrative.
Vedaa Review And Ratings
In conclusion,
The final verdict on Vedaa review is that, it aims to solve major social problems and give the action and drama that John Abraham’s fans want to see. The movie has a good intention of addressing the caste system and the transformation of a female protagonist. Though the movie has good intentions, it fails to tell the story it was supposed to. Despite having some great scenes, particularly the performances and the action scenes, Vedaa fails to deliver what it set out to do. The film is a cautionary tale of the state of affairs in Bollywood and how the very desire to tell a good story can sometimes lead to the neglect of a good message.
For those who are looking for a mix of action and social justice themes, Vedaa could still be a film of interest but one must not expect much from it.
