Varshangalkku Shesham Movie Review

Vineeth Sreenivasan’s latest directorial has been creating waves, especially with the promotional interviews that the film’s cast and crew have been giving. The film features an ensemble cast including Dhyan Sreenivasan, Pranav Mohanlal, Aju Varghese, Nivin Pauly, Basil Joseph, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Asif Ali and several others in prominent roles. The film finally hit the theaters on April 11th, with fans pouring in to watch the film. But is it really worth the hype? Let’s discuss!

The Plot of Varshangalkku Shesham

Varshangalkku Shesham follows the tale of two friends, Venu and Murali, from the 1970s to the present day. The film, which is narrated by Venu, tells the tale of himself and his best friend Murali, who travel to Madras with the aim of entering the film industry. While Venu is an aspiring director, Murali aspires to make music.

However, when Venu makes it big, his relationship with Murali is strained. How the two friends overcome the issues, and come together to make a film close to five decades after their initial meeting forms the crux of the story.

What works in Varshangalkku Shesham

Right from the first scene, what catches the audience’s attention is the cinematography work done in the film by Viswajith Odukkathil. The vibrant and contrasting colors not only add to the aesthetic value of the film, but also to the overall ambience of the 1970s world that Vineeth Sreenivasan has recreated. In tandem with the cinematography is the clever editing by Ranjan Abraham, which communicates the plight of each of the characters quite convincingly as well.

The music by Amrit Ramnath, the son of legendary vocalist Bombay Jayashri, blends in seamlessly with what is going on screen. Varshangalkku Shesham as a film is quite dependent on music, with one of the protagonists being a music composer. Amrit has effortlessly composed music that complements the scenes and situations.

As mentioned earlier, the film takes place in the 1970s, and is set in Madras (now Chennai). Naturally, this required a set to be put up, which has been done magnificently by Nimesh Thanur. The film’s sets, along with the make-up by Ronex Xavier, is without a doubt two of the best technical departments in the film, convincingly communicating the timeline to the audience. 

Finally, the writing by Vineeth Sreenivasan. The film spans a staggering 2 hours and 46 minutes, but rarely did it feel that the film lagged. The filmmaker’s use of nostalgic dialogues from the iconic duo Mohanlal and Sreenivasan’s films worked perfectly in creating the connection between the audience and the film. Furthermore, the filmmaker used the film as an opportunity to showcase his own love for the crafts of music and cinema, and did it so very beautifully. Undeniably, Vineeth Sreenivasan’s clever writing is the backbone of this nostalgic flick.

Check out the film’s trailer below:

What does not work in Varshangalkku Shesham

No film devoid of flaws, and Vineeth Sreenivasan’s Varshangalkku Shesham is no different. The first half of the film, fully set in the 1970s, showcases several scenes between Pranav Mohanlal and Kalyani Priyadarshan, where the dialogues seem a bit forced, or rather book-ish. However, that does not take away their performances in the scene, which are portrayed convincingly by the actors. Nonetheless, it is crucial to mention that these dialogues do not last long, and the rest of the film is a visual delight.

Performances in Varshangalkku Shesham

Portraying a character that is 50 years apart is not an easy task, but both Dhyan Sreenivasan and Pranav Mohanlal have done it wonderfully. Varshangalkku Shesham is arguably the best performance by Dhyan Sreenivasan till date. The actor convincingly portrays Venu, an aspiring director, who goes on to achieve his dream, and then sees a downfall as well. Same goes for Pranav Mohanlal, whose character seems to go through a multitude of emotions throughout the film as well.

Nivin Pauly plays an actor named Nithin Molly in the film, and it was mentioned that Varshangalkku Shesham would be his comeback. The statement holds true at every level. With just a limited screen time, the actor steals the show with his comedic timing, performance and the sheer energy.

The same can be said about the performance of renowned music composer Shaan Rahman, Basil Joseph, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Aju Varghese, Vineeth Sreenivasan and all other actors as well. The major cast of the film are known to be good friends, and their chemistry was visible on screen as well.

Verdict of Varshangalkku Shesham

As mentioned earlier, the major cast and crew of Varshangalkku Shesham are good friends off-screen as well. This gave the entire film the vibe of a meta podcast, told in a cinematic form, with a lot of internal jokes, and running jokes being addressed in the film, all of which creates a wholesome experience for the audience. Varshangalkku Shesham is a welcome nostalgic trip that deserves a theater watch with one’s whole family.