Official Trailer:

Vaazhl is the second outing from director Arun Prabu Purushothaman. There are lots of similarities with his first movie Aruvi, in terms of narrative style, criticism of fast paced, money-minded life, and getting into existential questions like meaning of life. Vaazhl expands on the brilliant pre-interval monologue from Aruvi. Vaazhl could be seen as an extension of Aruvi. Simply put, Vaazhl is about celebration life, living is not the same thing as having a life.

First segment establishes emptiness in Prakash’s life. Prakash is an IT employee. His code is buggy. He is an easy pushover. Annoying boss. Nagging girlfriend. His sister plans to elope with her boyfriend. Pestering family members. His life is monotonous. He is trapped. The opening scene is a metaphor of his life – trapped in meaninglessness. We do see him realizing this. He tries different things, booze, yoga, organic food, smoke-free, but none seem to help. I liked the way director staged this whole stretch – taking a slap-stick approach. How people can’t differentiate between real and reel life, even when it comes to love matters. Prakash’s sister is in love, and she believes and behaves like Jessie from VTV. Wait till you see her (Simbu) boyfriend😃 Not just her. Prakash’s girlfriend also comes across as a product of social conditioning (pink color, teddy bears, selfies). Vaazhl ridicules modern life stereotypes and values.

Initial stretch goes in bursts of short scenes. Then the genre switches to murder mystery when Prakash meets Yatramma, his distant cousin, and her hyperactive son Yatra. They go on a road trip on coastal Tamilnadu. On the way they meet an octogenarian in Tanjavur. Prakash’s relationship with Yatramma gets him into neck-deep problems. Then the movie hops to thriller tone with death of Yatramma and Prakash bumping into Tanya, a Bolivian girl. Who is Tanya? She is doing a degree on anthropology in Madurai University. She recites Arunagirinathar songs. With police chasing them, Prakash for murder and Tanya for peddling illegal passports, they escape to international waters to Papua New Guinea with Yatra.

I guess you get the gist. There is no plot as such, there is something resembling a plot. People appear out of nowhere. Unexpected things happen. Intention is for the movie to resemble life. In real life there is no plot. Yes, we do make plans. But none of us planned COVID, right? We don’t have a crystal ball to predict what will happen tomorrow. Whom will we meet? What events will happen? Vaazhl tries to convey two key lessons: Every person (read strangers) we meet has the potential to change our life. Tomorrow (worries) is for tomorrow. Prakash’s views on life changes slowly as strangers and events burst into his life.

Final segment in Papua New Guinea switches to surreal mode. As we move closer to nature things calm down. Yatra comes down. We get wider and top angle shots that immerse us in nature’s bounty. Away from nature, in office, home, or car, we get close-up or near close-up shots to give us the trapped, unsettling feel. How did Prakash and Yatra get back together in a big forest? Make the connection to the pigeon in the moving story narrated by the octogenarian. In Papua New Guinea, Prakash literally sees the light. I liked the wordplay with names. Prakash must take Yatra to see the Prakasam (light).

Like Aruvi, final segment gets into transcendental (No, I am not implying any deep meaning here. It gets into more contemplative, inward looking) mode. I look at Aruvi and Vaazhl as well-made experimental movies, complete disregard for genres and made with full freedom. Cinematography and music go with the director’s vision. Did it work? Hard to say. It depends. Movie may not connect but does leave you with few existential questions to ponder on.

Incidentally I watched Nomadland few weeks back. Another experimental movie, no plot as such. It narrates the life of Fern, who after her husband’s death and the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, packs her bags and sets off on a road trip in her RV. Get away from conventional society exploring the world outside and having a life. Live like nomads, like our pioneers who kept moving from one place to another. Did it work? It depends. My reply is same: an experimental movie, complete disregard for genres and made with more freedom. Movie may not connect but does leave you with few existential questions to mull over 😄

Nomadland official trailer:

So, are you going to take a month off every year, let go off everything and travel to new places to seek the meaning life? Or vacate your home, buy a RV, pack your bags, and hit the road? Be one of those lucky people who can travel anywhere? See you down the road.