Dear Vaappi review: Heart-warming tale of father-daughter duo that could have been executed better

“And, when you want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” — This famous quote from The Alchemist is apt for Dear Vaappi, an emotional movie that tells the story of a father-daughter relationship.

The film is set in the Muslim-rich Kozhikode district of Kerala. Being from this part of the state, the makers of the movie have tried to break some stereotypes.

Let’s dive in and see what the movie is about and how it fared.

The story

Basheer (Lal), a tailor, dreams big and wants to start an Indo-Western garment designing unit.

He was in Mumbai for a large chunk of his life where he learnt what is needed to be a successful tailor and be in the textile business.

He decides to return to his hometown and start a design unit to export clothes with the help of his daughter Amira.

Basheer has a warm relationship with his daughter and wife. His vision meets a roadblock at a crucial time and the movie is all about how his daughter takes his dream forward.

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Not really new

The story isn’t new; we have seen the same kind of plot before. Some classic films like Varavelpu and Mithunam follow similar themes — difficulties faced in starting a company.

Unlike these films, though, Dear Vaappi is emotionally heavy — so heavy that the audience, while watching the opening scenes, might wonder if they’re watching a TV serial!

But as the story progresses, the scenes gain more depth. But you cannot ignore the clichéd elements of stalking and body shaming.

A well-balanced script

Dear Vaappi has Lal and Anagha Narayanan (Amira) as the father-daughter duo. It seemed like cakewalk for the two actors who have good onscreen chemistry.

Amira’s efforts to fulfil her father’s dreams in the second half of the movie is commendable. And Basheer is keen that his daughter take her own decision regarding marriage and her career, a comparatively hard choice even today.

At one point Basheer even states that the burqa is not always essential for Muslim girls.

But the director balances this dialogue tastefully, giving the notion that the choice of clothes change when women enter sports and the workforce. He gives Olympian PT Usha and tennis icon Sania Mirza as examples.

This balance is kept in the script throughout.

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Basheer narrates his ideology about women’s dreams to his relative, who accepts it when it comes to Amira’s marriage.

Amira’s mom also takes a vital decision to go forward with her dreams at a pivotal point. She convinces a group of influential men in her community in this regard.

That’s a welcome change. But the interesting factor is that nobody revolts against this, which makes the movie fare rather smoothly.

#DearVaappi‘ . 🎥 In cinemas now!😍@ShanThulaseedh1 @crownfilms_ @LalDirector, #KailasMenon
#Niranj #AnaghaNarayan #Srirekha pic.twitter.com/lt7rHpZFaP

— Crownfilms (@crownfilms_) February 17, 2023

Predictable love story

Amira’s love interest in this movie is Riyas (Niranj Maniyanpilla Raju), who is initially portrayed as a stalker who takes her photos without her knowledge.

While Riyas falls in love with Amira and their love story is pretty predictable, the “stalking to portray love” approach could have been done away with.

The director, who is also the writer, has scripted the movie with a clichéd formula. But there are some bright spots — how the daughter travels to fulfil her father’s dream.

It can be categorised as a women-oriented movie, but some parts seem to be written for that particular reason. The songs composed by Kailas are nothing to write home about.

Entrepreneur-friendly theme

An entrepreneur’s success story — this is how we would describe Dear Vaappi. Had the movie been written with some lighter moments, it would have been more entertaining.

Some of the emotional moments with Sivaji Guruvayoor were extreme. These scenes could have been written without so much emotion in the foreground.

Often to cut through emotional scenes, writers throw in a smattering of comedic relief. But definitely not these body shaming or slapstick ones like you’ll find in Dear Vaappi.

 

Verdict

Dear Vaappi is a touching story of a father-daughter duo with heavy emotional and melodramatic content. The movie, however, is a decent watch for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to dream big.