Vanamagan review: Jayam Ravi, Sayyeshaa are outstanding in this family entertainer

Director AL Vijay's Vanamagan is a romantic action entertainer that has been made using the good old-fashioned formula of rich girl falling in love with poor boy. The only difference is that the boy is not just poor but an aboriginal tribesman from the Andamans.

Kavya (Sayyeshaa Saigal), a wealthy, influential businesswoman, is heir to a business empire left behind by her parents, who, we learn, passed away in an accident. Her empire is managed for her by her father's close friend (Prakash Raj) and his son Vicky.

Kavya is so rich that she can afford to spend Rs25 lakh on tickets that cost just Rs25,000. For a person endowed with such wealth, life is both a holiday and a party. So, it's only natural that she chooses to welcome the new year with friends on an exotic island. She changes her preference to the Andamans after Prakash Raj assures her that she will have a blast there.

There, in the name of fun, Vicky, Kavya and their friends booze even as they choose to break laws and enter zones earmarked for the aboriginal tribes. They are chased by police and in their hurry to escape from the law enforcers, the group knocks down a tribesman (Jayam Ravi), whom they don't see coming.

Scared that they might have to spend the rest of their lives behind bars, they take the man, who is in an unconscious state, to a dilapidated clinic in the vicinity. The doctor there advises them to move the patient to Chennai or Kolkata where there are better facilities, or risk the possibility of letting him die and spending the rest of their lives in jail.

With no options left, Kavya brings K Vasi, as she chooses to christen the young man later, to Chennai. They get him admitted to a hospital and the group tries to sneak away, leaving him to his fate.

However, Vasi, who has lost his memory, ends up staying at Kavya's house. Initially, she is uncomfortable with the idea but then, after a point, she begins to take a liking to him. Her liking is reciprocated by Vasi, much to the displeasure of Vicky, who has plans of marrying Kavya.

Needless to say, Vicky looks to get rid of Vasi. After a series of rather awkward and rapid developments, the situation gets out of control and Vasi finds himself back in the Andamans with Kavya in tow. Once there, Vasi regains his memory and, as a result, also remembers the huge responsibility that lies on his shoulders. Will Kavya be able to bring Vasi back or will she stay with him in the jungles giving up her huge properties? Vanamagan has answers to these questions and more.

The film is a neat, clean, family entertainer, very much like all the other films that Vijay has delivered so far. Both Sayyeshaa Saigal and Jayam Ravi play their parts so convincingly that you do not feel weird watching the story. Had the casting not been so perfect, the film would have been a disaster.

Jayam Ravi, who has just four or five lines of dialogue in the entire film, does a fantastic job as Vasi. His body language, expressions, and mannerisms more than make up for the lack of dialogue.

The same can be said of Sayyeshaa Saigal's performance as she effortlessly portrays several shades of her character. Initially, she comes across as this arrogant, rich woman who cares little for those in her service. At another point, she displays childishness when she pleads hopefully with Prakash Raj's character to let her take his son Vicky along to holiday in the Andamans. As the movie progresses, she beautifully expresses the transition that the character of Kavya undergoes as she begins to fall in love with Vasi. Saigal can dance like a dream and emote like a theatre artiste, and is easily one of the best finds in recent times in the Tamil film industry.

The film also has two seasoned artistes in Prakash Raj and Thambi Ramaiah, both of whom add immense value to it.

Harris Jayaraj's music is just about okay. However, Tirru's cinematography is brilliant. Be it the manner in which he captures the beauty of the forests of the Andamans or the concrete jungles of the city, Tirru is at his best, delivering breathtaking pictures.

Vijay, who is known for his heart-warming stories, tells this one with so much sincerity that one ends up liking it despite its flaws. On the whole, Vanamagan manages to get your attention.