Vanamagan

A.L Vijay's 'Vanamagan' is dedicated to the 100+ uncontacted (sparsely populated) tribes as per the end credits. However, it thoroughly sticks to its icky Tamil masala film formula. Six songs that bear no purpose whatsoever, are inserted at the worst of junctures.

The two positives about the film are a) The scene where Jayam Ravi's character Vaasi / Jaara treats the injured tiger that tried to harm a little child (the CGI isn't great but the sincerity in putting the thought across is felt!) b) The end credits which provide the audience with a brief on the dwindling numbers of tribal population all around the world.

What we get to see in the rest of the film is just stock characters (and a jungle-dweller) who go about their clichéd businesses of romance, song-and-dance routines, unconvincingly choreographed stunts, and oodles of tribal sentiment under the garb of a social message. A.L Vijay's intention is honest, but he succumbs to the 'isms' of Tamil cinema a tad too much for 'Vanamagan' to be taken seriously. The second half is slightly better than the first, mostly owing to the magnificent shooting locales in Andaman.

Sayyesha is an exceptional dancer but the same cannot be said about her acting skills (as yet!). Thambi Ramaiah annoys with his poor comic timing and one-liners. Prakash Raj repeats his trademark style while portraying the antagonist.

Verdict: Below average!