User reviews

In 2 months time, Allu Arjun gave one of the worst movies and one of the best movies of this decade in Tollywood.

Vedam has 5 independent stories in it which are taking place parallelly, and the characters of all the stories converge at the big climax. In my limited memory, I can't remember such a movie being made prior in Tollywood. This could be a risky subject but director Krish (Gamyam fame) pulled it off with great aplomb. I won't brief about the 5 stories but they are very different from each other and there is believability to each one of them although in various degrees.

If an award for the best performance by an ensemble cast in Tollywood is introduced next year, Vedam would be the leading contender. Nobody in the movie messed up there roles. Allu Arjun is an excellent fit in the role of Cable Raju. His performance & emotions at the end where he has a change of heart is the best that he had done until now. After the movie Arundhati, Anushka has become a clear crowd favourite. The whistles and shouts during her introduction scene were only matched by the entrance of Arjun. Anushka has nailed the role of Saroja going from funny to angry to angst with ease. She definitely is one of the best actresses in Tollywood right now. This is my first Manchu Manoj movie. He was an apt choice to play the music loving wannabe rock-star Vivek. Manoj is not only a better actor than his brother Vishnu but he is also choosing his scripts wisely. He created a good first impression on me. I haven't seen Manoj Bajpai fail as an actor and the same goes here. He gives good performance as the victimised Muslim Raheemuddin Qureishi. All the others in the movie performed really well. Deeksha Seth is used for her glamour.

Since there are 5 stories, there are a lot of characters to be introduced. So in the first half, we are introduced to the characters and their motivations. With a conflict in each story, the first half ends. So it may appear to some people as if not much has happened as a whole in the first half but that is only an illusion because we are dealing with 5 stories here. The second half is absolutely gripping.

Generally in our industry when you have a drama with superb performances, the technical aspects are grossly neglected. But Vedam is technically a very well made film. Right from your editing to cinematography to art work to sound effects, this is a wonderfully made film. Dialogues & direction by Krish are great. Krish proved that he is not a one film wonder. Let's hope that he is not a two film wonder. (Am I being greedy?)

Background score by Keeravani is very good but I would have been more happy if every thing is original. Coming to the songs, the songs fit in the movie very well but I don't think they would work outside the movie.

After the break, for a few minutes the movie tends to be slow. They could have cut a song there. Story & script wise, the tussle between Manoj & Sikh lorry driver was too superficial. To develop the conflict in Manoj's character, a more natural setup would have been very good. Another one is when Manoj Bajpai, who initially tries to escape without even warning the hundreds of people in the hospital about the impending danger, has a change of heart when he sees a pregnant lady. Agreed that he has some past scars regarding unborn babies but still it appeared a bit forced. One more thing is when some body dies at a huge explosion, I think that the faces should not be recognisable. But the above points are very minor, and by the end of the movie this is a very satisfying experience.

http://amarsmoviejournal.blogspot.com

All in all, this is a must watch. This is going to win a lot of awards next season. The general perception is that an award winning movie tends to be a boring art movie. This is true in many cases but once in a while there comes a really good drama without boring you and this is one of those. I was absolutely thrilled by the time the movie was over because of mainly 2 reasons. One reason was because the movie was very good & the second one was because I rarely see such well made movie in Telugu. So my humble request is don't miss this.

Finally, a triple thumbs-up (if such a word is there) for the director Krish and the producers Devineni Prasad & Yarlagadda Shobhu.

p.s I didn't understand the crediting of Manchu Manoj as Guest appearance because I felt his role was of a proper protagonist.

The film initially begs for freshness but as it hits the second hour it touches you, draws you into their purgatory, their ups and downs. Wow!! Its a Very Good Movie and a Lot of new point of view. The Director is here to stay, he proved earlier in Gamyam itself and now he put a signature in the History of Telugu and Indian Film Industry. What a Movie!! Can be matched with any Great movies in India such as Maniratnam's or Sekhar Kummals or Adoor Gopalakrishnan etc..

Allu Arjun dominates the film with his flawless work. In the second part of the film, his expressions are splendid, especially when he tries to steal money at the hospital, while going to pay for the tickets and his scenes with a small child whose smile he chose to overlook in a hurry to fulfill his desire. Manoj Bajpai: Needless to say about him. Needless to talk about him, He always delivers what is expected. Anushka is simply natural and yes pretty too. and Manoj: Well Done, He can be proud enough to be a Part of such a Beautiful and Meaning full movie.

Vedam – the format in which it has been told was never done before in Telugu cinema.

Dialogues are the asset of this movie and Allu Arjun is the face and soul of this movie. The way his character develops is amazing. Career best performance.

It is really a daring step by any producer or director to do such a film especially with a commercial hero like Arjun and glamorous star Anushka, besides Manchu Manoj.

I was really surprised to see the lead actors giving such a great performance. Hats off to them Arjun & Manoj. Both should be appreciated coming forward for such a fantastic film. Krish made a wonderful second flick after Gamyam. He dealt the subject very neatly and precisely. Nothing is more and nothing is less.

After coming out of the theater I felt watching whole of the life in it. Thanks to Krish for presenting such a great film.

If you want to watch a good film, Watch VEDAM. Feel the LIFE.

Believe me you will miss something if you don't watch this movie!!

My rating would be 9/10

wow!what an experience which compelled me into writing this..lets start from the beginning..

when i was told that this was an experimental movie in telugu, i was really circumspect because let me tell u i've been watching telugu movies for many years now & whenever someone tries something "different" more often it turns out to be awful.

but this one's one of those movies which stands for all the great things about this great medium.it shows,reflects,teaches & above all it inspires.

hats off to the director for pulling this off with a difficult subject,ensemble cast & an amazing way of story telling.

if u really are curious to know the story,it intertwines 4 stories which are very distinct on their own from the beginning to the end. just the characters meet very briefly & u keep wondering through the 1st half if there is any connection at all. and boy there is! its not just topical but a much deeper connection & the director keeps it ticking without a single dull moment with great élan.

its the triumph of human spirit that touches u in the second half. the scene where allu arjun (yes the same guy who did the horrible varudu)returns the money or manoj(fully intense throughout)takes on goons who really are hooligans in the name of religion or the superbly crafted climax that takes ur breath away.

this movie asserts everyone gets a second chance to redeem yourself no matter how terrible ur mistakes are.its just up to u to embrace it. it uses such dramatic situations to prove this that often makes u tearful and yet every character is so real that one can identify oneself in at least one of them.this is what makes this movie hit the jackpot.

the acting is fine by all leading stars.after seeing this u keep wondering y Allu Arjun chooses some horrible movies.manoj bajpai shines in his role as Muslim fighting against the system but the guy who stand out with his intense role a wannabe rock star unwillingly ending up a patriot is Manoj.

I know some of u may not like the ending but come-on aren't we tired of the same old stuff?this is contemporary movie making at its best & its prudent for us to embrace it & encourage such movie makers who make us proud to be Indians!!

I and many others would have never thought that there will be a movie like Vedam made in Telugu. This is definitely regional movie at its best.

That is exactly what compelled me to write a review for the first time ever.

The first thing that strikes to your mind when watching is this movie is that it could be a lift/inspiration from Crash/21 grams/Babel/Love Actually. Of course, it might have been but who cares. This is one of the best movies Telugu film industry ever produced.

The screenplay is common in the above movies but what comes out at the end is what makes this movie a wonderful masterpiece.

When you observe the movie then it actually makes more sense when you relate it back to back. The climax is where you understand why the five different stories were narrated and how they get to where they are.

The best part is that there is a conclusion unlike Babel or any other movie with the same kind of screenplay.

We see the climax of the movie where bad turns good or even ends (dies)good. And this is why the movie is sensible and intelligent.Every aspect of the story is carefully blended. This is a movie that you will remember.

Mr. Krish, if you are reading this, make sure you acknowledge that we are really grateful to you. Woow...what a masterpiece. keep up your good work and we hope to see more of such wonderful movies from you.

From the director of 'Gamyam', comes another meaningful story 'Vedham'. Audience in search of wisdom, your ultimate stop is here. Readers, if this review goes a little long, it is only that appreciation to this movie has no bounds. Krish has done a flawless job that will make the audience sit at the edge of the seat for most of the time.

With this movie, Tollywood goes to the next level. The level from commercial cinema to meaningful cinema! Krish has already announced his arrival with 'Gamyam' and now he has cemented his place with 'Vedam'.

The Characters

'Vedam' is the story of 6 people. All the people involved are introduced individually. First in the list is Manchu Manoj as Vivek Chakravarthy who's introduced with a title as 'Rocking Star'. He is a rock star in the movie and a song showing him as a rock star appears soon after the title of the movie. He along with his girl friend Lasya (Lekha Washington) and their gang set up a rock band in Bangalore. They go to Hyderbad for a performance.

Next is Nagayya as Ramulu, an old man from Lingampally, is introduced along with his daughter in law Saranya. They are illiterates who face serious financial problems. They are in debt to Patel who has Saranya's son captive. Only upon paying the debt, the son would be set free. The only solution is to sell a kidney of Saranya that takes the old man and his daughter in law to Hyderbad.

Next scene is a 'basthi' (slum) in Jubilee hills, Hyderbad. Allu Arjun as 'Cable Raju' is introduced. He's educated yet works as a cable boy who doesn't pay his boss. He fakes his life as a rich brat and makes his filthy rich girl friend believe the same. He needs money to impress his girl friend.

In this list of 6 people, the fifth in the line is Manoj Bajpai as Rahim Qureshi. A bitter past in a Hindu Muslim fight, his pregnant wife loses the foetus before birth. A small misunderstanding with a cop has him in a black list. He is a good man and a beloved husband yet in the bad books of the police.

The last in the list is Anushka who's Saroja, a prostitute. She knows no other way of living. She along with her friend, 'Karpooram', a eunuch, wants to get out of the prostitute house they work for. They want to set up on their own.

The Plot

This is a classic movie that will go in to history no doubt! IndiaGlitz appreciates the director, Krish for making such a meaningful movie. Only a gist is given and nothing more. After the introduction of all characters, the plot takes place on 31st night. Every character is associated with Hyderbad. This one night is life changing for all the 6 persons and the people associated with them.

Parallel to the lives of these 6 people, a gang of terrorists plot a plan to massacre innocent citizens in the name of 'Jihad'. How these people are related and how the others in the hospital, who are held as hostages by the terrorists, are saved, forms the terrific remainder of this paramount story.

The hero of the movie…

The screenplay and it is the hero! The introduction of all characters is done one by one. It is a simple yet powerful screenplay. The characterization of all characters is sketched carefully in such a way that the script is not dominated. Given the images of Allu Arjun and Manchu Manoj, the script emerges greater.

'Vedam' Dialogues are exemplary and compliment the screenplay.

The screenplay is crisp thanks to the editor Sravan. The way the story is narrated by Krish is just amazing and any word above that will go to him. No lag in script and that is one sign of a classy movie maker. Kudos to him and his editor!

The next important technician is the cinematographer VS Gnana Sekhar. His camera has captured all those intense scenes excellently particularly a few scenes on the highway when Manoj and his band are on their way to Hyderbad from Bangalore.

M M Keeravani's music and rerecording are remarkable. Looks like he saves his best for the best! Elegant work from the veteran, his music is definitely an asset.

Performances

Starting from the order of appearance in the movie- Manoj as an actor will cherish the character he has portrayed in 'Vedam' all through his career. He has been shown as an intelligent guy who has an ambition. Manoj has pulled of a decent job. Interestingly when his name appeared in the titles, his character was described as special appearance as subscript.

Allu Arjun as a cable guy would equally feel happy to have bagged such a role. His screen presence is a little more than Manoj, his character demands it. Allu Arjun has evolved as an actor yet his expressions could be better. In fact Manchu Manoj and Allu Arjun come on the screen together only for a few seconds and that too in the climax.

Manoj Bajpai has brought out a terrific performance and his performance is the pick of the lot. Anushka has done a decent job. All other actors have done a great job but a lame member of the audience would feel there were too many characters involved yet the script emerges winner.

Reiterating the point that Krish has taken Tollywood to the next level, his 'Vedam' is a genesis that other film makers will start to contemplate about. He has touched every aspect of life be it religion or money and carefully conveyed a message about good living. This movie is a clear winner and any rating will only be too less. Hats off Radha Krishna!

One of the greatest movies in Telugu industry A MUST Watch! all the characters fitted perfectly. Screenplay is too good. Overall: Awesome It completely reveals today's world.I love this movie.Allu Arjun acting is too too good.Like normal BalaKrishna or Pavan,the villain sends an army hero beats them up heroine falls in love then a lousy song,NO this movie is not like that completely different.You gotta love this movie once you watch it.If you are sensitive You may even cry.Once you watch the may u WILL Be SPEECHLESS.so go now get your tickets.Watch the movie till you get the message and don't just sit there, get the message and try to follow it.

The first and the foremost duty of any writer is simple. To tell the truth. Just tell the truth. And I want to begin by telling just that – the truth. The truth about art. Any art. It's, again, simple. Art must touch souls. If what you do doesn't touch your own soul, it not only not an art but also something you should not be doing in the first place. And this is the best thing about life. We know it when we are doing something that is not touching us. But we keep doing it. But not all. Some stop. They just stop. And then they start doing something else. Something that is completely not expected of them. And it is this defining moment that makes lives. And more often than not this defining moment in life begins with this line, if you were a Telugu-speaking dreamer: "Edava janma" ("What an inglorious life I have been leading!"). This I know, although I hardly know anything about Krish – the writer-director of 'Vedam', is the same internal dialogue with his inner voice that made him quit everything he had and had been doing to begin his life anew by moving to film-making. "What an inglorious life I have!" In short, it is highly impossible to create a work of art that touches souls unless the maker of it goes through that defining moment in life. And the best thing about such lives and works of arts is that they go on to make a million more people go through the same defining moment in their lives: "What an inglorious life I am having! ". And in that lies the success of such original creators of works of art that touch souls. And today's film is a testimony to that fact. That Radhakrishna (Krish) is a success. His works come from the people that touched his soul to the people whom it will go on to touch. My hearty congratulations.

Coming to the film, the best thing about it is that it put the true meaning of inspiration in its original place. For decades we have been subjected to the horror of art thieves who used and abused the word 'inspiration' by blatantly copying others' works. And it is the same fear that I went to watch the movie 'Vedam' today. That it could be a copy of "Babel" or "21 Grams" or even closer "Crash". And I thanked all the gods and quietly patted Krish's back in my own mind that it was not what I feared it was. I am sure, as he himself would admit, if asked, that the germ of the idea for the such a story came while watching "Crash" but that's where all comparisons end. Not a single element was taken from any other movie. It is the soul of the filmmaker that was touched by all these wonderful films that responded to create his own original work that could touch a million more people in the same way. And that is the pristine definition of the word 'inspiration'. A candle lighting other candles. And Krish's film is one such candle that was lit by a few beautiful candles that in turn is now lighting many more candles.

There are many successful filmmakers in this world and in our own industry. Many offer many different things through their films that we all enjoy watching. At the end of the day I know what comes to me to my bed and into my dreams is not that film that made me happy or sad or excited about or ambitious but that movie that touched my inner most soul and made me want to be a better person. Not many successful filmmakers indulge themselves in making such soul-stirring tales. Not because they don't like doing them but simply because they can't. Not all can. It requires to be human, it requires to be sensitive to pain, it requires to go through pain and not hate the source of pain to acquire that humanist attitude towards life, people and in the way one likes to live life. Unless you are such a humanist, you can't create a good humanist drama. You have to, like Gandhi said, live the life that you want to preach. Only a few filmmakers belong to that school: Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores Perros/21 Grams/Babel), Roberto Benigini (Life is Beautiful), Sam Mendes (American Beauty/Revolutionary Road), Prakash Jha back at home (Apaharan/Gangajal/Raajneeti), Anurag Basu (Life in a Metro) and a few others. And I am proud to state that we have a humanist born in our own Telugu film industry who understands the universal nature of human emotions and responds to them with affection. And that his name is Radhakrishna. To Radhakrishna. To Krish.

SUBHAKAR.COM

The movie is good for Telugu industry definitely. The casting was good and a big experiment that gave some positive results.

The first half of the movie doesn't have any story and tends to bore you. The script tried very hard to establish all the characters in the first half and doesn't concentrate on the story. But, the second half is power packed and gets the best of writing supported by performances. Nagayya as Ramulu is awesome. Arjun is his usual energetic. Anushka is sexy and innocent at the same time. Manchu Manoj is good for his role. Manoj Bajpai has done justice to his role.

Overall, this movie has a potential to change the industry norms and standards if taken in right sense and elevate the movie making art. Full credit has to be given to Krish, the director.

Vedam (2010) : Brief Review -

Vedam is a dated melodrama boosted by hyperlink storytelling and tearful climax. An anthology in mainstream cinema is rare because usually mainstream and money-seeker filmmakers don't use it. It is only used by those filmmakers who crave for artistic cinema and wants to do something new. With Vedam, these two different poles have come together as the film is very much an entertaining drama with smartly set anthology. Like I said, it's a dated melodrama so you will see many mediocre and typical scenes. It was dated even for its time, i mean by 2010, the storytelling had became much matured and the filmmaking was very much advanced. Vedam fails to impress there but otherwise it gathers a lot of elements together in the climax to leave audience fulfilled. The film is about different people coming from different places for different reasons, unknowingly gathered together at a place which goes through a horrendous attack by Jihadis. The first half of the film is underwhelming because it only manages to introduce all the characters and their lives in an hour long runtime, and nothing else. So, we have to wait for last 30 minutes when the actual process and meaning of the anthology starts. Overall, it's a decent script just like any other common popcorn flick but it is the climax which gives it some meaning and some extra values. It solves all the problems within those 20 odd minutes by using plenty of dramatic ingredients like Love, Break Up, Patriotism, Care, Sacrifice, Humanity etc. All the actors are average to above average in their roles. Maybe that was the requirement. Krish pulls off a watchable film from experimental tricks because he doesn't forget the basics of a mainstream entertainer. Vedam may not be overwhelming but it is not that underwhelming either. An attempt to be proud of.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

I found nothing but anti hindu propaganda in this to the max. They've shown exaggerated negativity especially among hindu community. Hindus are shown as hypocritical, greedy, power hungry, hateful mobsters. Shame on the creators. Such repulsive propaganda. No script no logic just hindus committing atrocities on others. Its such ugliness. Hard to seee but this used to be the norm few years ago.

Kudos to the director Krish and the artists mainly Anushka.. She us fabulous in her role and applause for her dareness to choose this role

A social experimental movie with certain characters of different classes of people and the life changing moment which is a beautiful writing from Krish Jagarlamudi

It shows the life of different people with different situations and emotions. When we go to performances the main lead people had done a splendid job to there roles. songs are quite good and M.M.Keeravani had made the viewers to connect with the movie The heart of every movie is it's climax if we watch climax of this movie definitely touches our heart

Inspirational movie...nice screenplay..awesome acting...

Words are not enough to describe the emotional script of this movie which was played with a brilliant acting of every character.

I must say, even after 11 years, the movie is still updated. I am watching it for second time.

Just loved it.

Cable Raju is an emotion forever , krish you are the legend

There are 5 stories running parallel in this film and all intersect at the climax which looked unnatural at first but is digestible considering the fact that we really don't know what's in store for us in the future. Arjun, Anushka, Manoj, Saranya and Manchu Manoj are the protagonist of these 5 stories.

Story of Saranya looks real and touching. Manchu Manoj lacks character depth, the message in his story could have been delivered in a better way and it feels like no effort was taken to write his story. Manoj Bajpayee's story is very debatable and fans the fire of hate which at its face value it aims to reduce, basically it looks like some fake story taken from NDTV's prime time (NDTV appears in the end that indicates that some ideologically similar folks tampered the script to suit their political agenda). Anushka does really good to make audience relate with the situation faced by people stuck in her character's profession. Arjun's story is very beautifully written and occupies the most screen time among others. It shows transition of a wandering young boy diseased with materialism of the world to a man who breaths reality.

I would put it at 2nd place in the list of best Allu Arjun movies, just after Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. This movie is way ahead of its time and I am sure if some debatable elements were improved then it could have been even better.