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Vargam
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'Vargam' Worth a watch

By P. Sreekumaran
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

‘Vargam’ could prove to be the turning point in the career of young actor Prithviraj . Prithvi has been struggling to make it big ever since ‘Nandanam’. While Nandanam’s phenomenal success benefited heroine Navya Nair , Prithviraj continued to languish.

However, with ‘Vargam’, Prithvi has staged a strong comeback. Of course, it is not the first time he is playing the cop. He has donned the police uniform in earlier films like ‘Sathyam’ and ‘Police’. But somehow, those films did not click.

In

‘Vargam’, Prithvi again plays a police officer. But director Padmakumar has fleshed out the role in such a manner as to allow Prithvi to display not only his prowess in the action scenes but also his emoting skill.

‘Vargam’ also has shades of the Mammootty-starrer ‘Avanazhi’ and Mohanlal’s ‘Devasuram’. But to the credit of Prithvi, he carries the film effectively on his young shoulders. The success of the film at the box office also shows that the audience has appreciated the young hero’s hard work.

Solomon Joseph (Prithviraj) is a police inspector corrupt to the core. His only mission in life: to make money left and right and spend it on wine and women. Inevitably he drifts into bad company. Solomon has not known love ever since his mother died when he was only six.

The plot thickens after Solomon is posted to a remote Kerala town terrorized by a mafia don Vavachan (Vijayaraghavan), who is into drug trafficking and other shady activities. Vavachan takes an instant liking for Solomon.

The tale takes a new twist when Solomon kills the brother of another mafia don, Ummachan (Devan), who is Vavachan’s enemy. In desperation, Solomon hides the body of the man.

An angry Ummachan who suspects Solomon of being behind the ‘disappearance’ of his brother, manages to get him transferred to another remote village.

Solomon again runs into another underworld don Aboobacker Haji (Captain Raju) and his son Sherif (Anantnhu). Initially, they get along well, but fall out later. And Solomon pays a heavy price for incurring Haji’s wrath. He nearly gets killed by Haji’s men and ends up in a hospital beaten to a pulp. In between he also helps Haji and his men to trap a poor Muslim girl, Nadia (Renuka Menon). He regrets it and decides to begin a new life, shaking off his shady past. But he still has to face Ummachan who is back to avenge the death of his brother.

Prithviraj dominates the film. Even his dialogue delivery, a weak point hitherto, has improved. The body language and mannerisms are impeccable. Prithvi has well and truly arrived with ‘Vargam’, that is for sure. And both Captain Raju and Devan have made a strong comeback as villains. Renuka Menon is ok but weak in the emotional scenes.

‘Vargam’ is enriched by excellent camera work by Shyam Dutt.

All in all, both Prithviraj and Padmakumar can be proud of ‘Vargam’, which is one of the best action movies to have come out recently. The fast-paced narration is buttressed by crisp editing too.

Worth watching.

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