Anurag Paluta’s debut feature for Etv Win is more about the emotions of a dysfunctional family than the joyful fun moments that are thrown to evoke humour out of the tragedy.
Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra (2024) Movie Review
Brahmanandam dreams of a chill life in Goa since the day he saw Goa for the first time ever when he was working as a flag-waver in Indian Railways. Then, life hits him and makes him settle in the tragedies of middle-classness. This premise is voiceover-ed to us. As the film progresses to the end, I was wondering more about what could have made Veeranjaneyulu, a middle-class man, to put all the hard earned money into buying a ‘Happy house’ in Goa? Why was he thinking like that? What was his philosophy of life that is a resonance of today’s urbane voices?
So, the plot is well introduced to us through the teasers and trailers. And, you also kinda know what is going to happen at the climax. So, it is definitely not a plot-driven cinema. The hooking element of this dysfunctional family that is stuck with emonomic and freedom-of-life issues is the conflicts that are created for each character that gives them a proper motivation for their actions. In this regard writer-director Anurag Palutla and writer Sri Sushi have taken meticulous care, so much so that it feels like the screenplay has been written formulaically. But, Hey! What is wrong with any formula as long as it works?
Also Read: ‘Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra’: Get ready for Brahmanandam’s voice
Voice of Feminism
The interesting aspect among the other themes of a father getting fired due to unemployable skills at the near-retirement age, son’s startup frenzy going wrong, wife’s ignored chronic leg pain, mother-in-law’s tantrums, brother-in-law’s inability to open up frankly with his own family, Rag Mayur’s girlfriend’s obsessive and child-like love for him, is the daughter’s liberty of choice that comes with a consequence as well as objections to her tiny choices from others, Sarayu’s character played by Priya Vadlamani is interesting character that can be relatable to many women of this day and age.
Road to Redemption
The element of travel in travel cinema, oftentimes, is not just the road and the car. The travel has the metaphoric significance of change in character as they change the geographies. In Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra, the family travels in an old colourful car through Rajamahendravaram, Krishna River, Rayalaseema, Karnataka to finally reach Goa.
Every character in the movie has a moment of redemption. Literally, every character. This is why I said the characters are written with meticulous care but also feels artificially staged for the sake of good screenwriting. The redemption is to face and accept the issues-ridden reality and be content with what life offers than to be sad regarding what life doesn’t offer and what others demand.
C Ankur’s cinematography is impressive with its bright and saturated colours that are becoming a norm in new-age movies. Music by R H Vikram works better to mood-up the chaos of conflicts than to evoke emotions which music is better at. Fortunately, we had good actors acting good in this movie. Therefore, the redemption arc at the end of the movie doesn’t appear artificially staged although it is staged for the purpose of good screenwriting.
Also Read: ‘Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra’: OTT show locks its release date
ETV Win’s Unique Content
Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra being an ETV Win original adds more weight to the OTT more than the film itself. The strategy to acquire new OTT audiences from third-party piracy websites through original feel-good family movies is bound to be successful as long as there is a demand for quality content that can be watched by everyone irrespective of age and politics. Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra is a true family cinema.
Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra will stream on ETV WIN from August 14.
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