Vidaa Muyarchi review: Ajith’s sincere effort is the saving grace of this partly engaging action drama

Vidaa Muyarchi was one film Kollywood buffs have been eagerly waiting for a long time. The lack of adequate updates, uncertainty about its schedules and postponements left fans of Ajith impatient for several months.

The makers’ decision to opt out from the Pongal release less than two weeks away from the festival made things worse, leaving exhibitors and fans furious. Despite various hurdles, the action flick, which is an official adaptation of Breakdown, helmed by Magizh Thirumeni, hit the screens on Thursday, 6 February.

An Azerbaijan-based Tamil couple, who has hit a rough patch in their life after 12 years of marriage, decides to go on a final trip together. They encounter a group of hooligans who indulge in various ways to harm them during the journey.

However, another couple hailing from Tamil Nadu comes to their rescue. What ensues is a series of suspense-laden episodes, unpredictable moments and a crime saga.

Highlights and Drawbacks

One of the first concerns many expressed when makers announced that Vidaa Muyarchi is an adaptation of Breakdown, was the plot’s ability to keep today’s audience engaged. Despite being the remake of a film that is almost three decades old, the Ajith-starrer has elements that keep the viewers glued to their seats.

The cinematography is top-notch, and the visuals make up for some of the unengaging moments. The terrain of Azerbaijan has been beautifully captured, enhancing the story’s conflicts.

The run time of Vidaa Muyarichi is adequate and the screenplay doesn’t suffer from unnecessary distractions. The story begins from the word go and technical aspects elevate the proceedings. The background score acts as a catalyst in crucial sequences. Some of the action moments do pack a punch.

On the downside, the emotional connection in Vidaa Muyarchi takes a beating as the central characters aren’t sufficiently written. We get montages of the chemistry between the lead characters, but the reason for the indifferences in their life isn’t appealing enough.

The antagonist roles are generic and their arcs are quite predictable. The bad guys do manage to make an adverse impact on the protagonist’s life, but the confrontational scenes could have been better.

The twists aren’t shocking and hence, you aren’t too involved in the protagonist’s struggles. The makers take ample time to establish the plot and conflict in the first half. The lack of a fast-paced screenplay bothers you in a few episodes.

Performances

Ajith looks solid in the role of a doting husband who goes all out to save his missing wife. He pulls off action convincingly and expresses vulnerability impressively.

It’s a delight to see him let go of the huge star image he carries otherwise. Trisha is apt in the role of a woman who decides to part ways with her husband despite the latter loving her unconditionally.

Arjun carries the swag and cunningness required for his devilish character and proves yet again that he is on another level when it comes to performing action.

Regina Cassandra makes her presence felt in some of the scenes with her stylish body language and evil expressions. Arav impresses but deserves better writing for his role.

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Final take

The road thriller had ample scope for being a riveting thriller with captivating action scenes. However, Vidaa Muyarchi, despite featuring an interesting cast, falls short of delivering an engaging action drama, thanks to slow-paced narration and lack of high moments.

(Views expressed here are personal, edited by Sumavarsha)