Vakeel Saab Review : In one sentence, the movie packs a lot of punch, and Pawan Kalyan ensures that his fans leave the theatre with whistles, and jubilation.
Venu Sriram’s Vakeel Saab is an official remake of the Bollywood hit Pink, a film that stood out for its path breaking content. Pawan Kalyan movie is added with a solid dose of masala to up his screen charisma, and also strengthen its budding political career, Venu has done well to ensure that his image remain intact in both ways.
Vakeel Saab Review; Pawan Kalyan All the Way
Watched Vakeel Saab…No words! Only Pawan Kalyan…👌👌👌 Blockbuster 🔥🔥 #VakeelSaab @PawanKalyan
— SurenderReddy (@DirSurender) April 9, 2021
Pallavi (Nivetha Thomas), Zareen (Anjali) and Divya (Ananya Nagalla) are roommates who work hard to make a living for their middle-class families. Their happy, simple and carefree life soon turns upside down due to an unfortunate encounter one night. Facing charges of solicitation and attempt to murder, the girls find themselves painted into a corner by an influential man and his friends.
Vakeel Saab aka Konidela Satyadev (Pawan Kalyan) is an alcoholic lawyer who hasn’t returned to court since the day he was suspended a few years ago. He drinks to mask the pain of a past he cannot correct and cover up guilt he cannot let go of. But when he seems to be the only hope for these girls to prove their innocence, he gets his act together and fights for them.
Towards the fag end of the film, Satyadev beats up a few goons and says, “Court lo vadinchadam telusu, coat teesi kottadamu telusu.” (I know how to fight both in court and off it.) This dialogue shows just how different his character is from that of Deepak Sehgal, Amitabh Bachchan’s character from the original. Where Deepak takes the route of lesser said the better and subtlety, with a touch of sarcasm, Satyadev believes in going all out – be it with his sarcasm or his fists. Venu Sriram does a good job of setting up his character and while his back-story in first half ft.
Had Goosebumps watching @PawanKalyan gaaru court scenes and the closing argument…very well written 2nd half! 👌Terrific performances by every one!!Vakeel Saab will ring huge vasools at BO!! Congrats to #DilRaju gaaru and the whole team!! 👏#Nivethathomas #Anjali
— dev katta (@devakatta) April 9, 2021
Shruti Haasan as his wife might seem inconsequential at first and is a test to the patience, the film circles back to how Satyadev can’t change who he is at the end of the day, be it at a protest or in court. Pawan Kalyan too seems comfortable in the skin of his character.
Nivetha carries the weight of the film after him and few scenes featuring her are not just heart-wrenching, but also painful to watch. But then again, the predicament she finds herself in is a hard reality for many women in this country.
Anjali comes a close second with her character Zareen, who always seems to give off a calm exterior but simmers right beneath the surface. Ananya’s character Divya does not have too many lines, but she manages to make her presence felt in what she’s given. So does Shruti Haasan, even if her character doesn’t get enough time or space for us to sympathise with her. Prakash Raj plays Nanda ji whom Satyadev faces in court, he pulls it off with ease.
Venu Sriram sticks to the plot of Pink for the most part but tweaks the screenplay given how differently Pawan Kalyan’s character has been fleshed out. Two fight scenes in particular, while stylish, seem placed for the heck of it and do not gel well with the flow of the film. Thaman’s songs too manage to get the job done, but it’s the BGM where he truly shines and gives it his all.
Now the question remains if Vakeel Saab manages to make you as uncomfortable as Pink did due to the nature of the crime, especially in the court scenes. It does not, because Satyadev’s dialogues in these scenes are placed to elicit whistles while also getting the point across and that dilutes the issue at hand. And despite all that neck rubbing and table flipping, Satyadev does get his moment in court to make it clear that “no means no”. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.
Watch this one for the performances, especially if you’re a fan of Pawan Kalyan, Nivetha Thomas and Anjali. Also watch it if you’re a fan of masala potboilers backed by a strong message. But if you’re a fan of Pink, keep your expectations in check, seeing as how the film is not even named after the women or the cause it fights for.