Vikramaditan – Vedalam stories are very interesting. These stories are a kind of righteous teaching. Vedhalam starts telling the story when he sits on Vikramaditya’s neck. There will be a question at the end of the story. The answer to that question is based on Dharma. Every time the story is told, there is a puzzle in it to the extent that Vikramaditan’s head explodes. Eventually a clear answer will come out of it. The film Vikram Veda is a masterpiece based on this Vikramathan-Vedalam story.
There is no dearth of gangster films in Tamil cinema. Likewise, there are innumerable police encounter films. But all these are taken either to upstage the police or to exaggerate gangster life. But Vikram Veda is very different from all the films. An honest cop and a gangster from a living situation. This film also analyzes the morals of life from both sides.
This film does not make any direct statement. But how should we approach life, (Vedic life) and on what basis should our decisions be based in a difficult situation; (Vikram Life) One should not approach life blindfolded, one should understand the reality of what is going on around one. Otherwise we become victims of circumstances.
‘If there is a problem, don’t just look at the problem, look at the cause of it’
‘Decide and don’t search… search and decide!’
‘Namagonnu Devanna, it’s a mistake not to try for it!’
‘Wachukkoyan is a job for you…we should not look at who and where he is, we should look at whether it is our job or not!’..
Synopsis of the story:
A team including police officer Vikram is formed to encounter Veda and his associates who are the biggest gangster in North Chennai. The film begins with their encounter. After this encounter, Veda himself surrenders to the police. Vikram and Veda meet face to face for the first time in the investigation. Then Veda tells her story to Vikram. He stops the story at a particular place. Later, he gets out on bail immediately. Vikram moves towards some answers from Veda’s story. Veda tells his life story to Vikram three times in total. Each time Veda tells a story that helps Vikram solve many puzzles. In this, Veda uses Vikram’s wife as her lawyer.
Pushkar Gayatri has created every character in this story very elegantly. There is a fair dharma for the respective characters. The important aspect of the film is how those morals are changed by life experiences.
Vikram:
He has been thinking of being an honest police officer. He says he only kills bad people so he sleeps snoring at night. He makes the children of those he encounters study. He thinks the police are on the side of the good guys in the fight between good guys and bad guys. But, the truths that eventually come to his attention will blow him away. He regrets that he has been used as a tool.
Veda is bad in Vikram’s eyes at the beginning. Vikram’s view of Veda changes somewhat after the riddles are solved.
Veda:
Veda has two worlds. One is his younger brother Dot. Another is the gangster industry. A beautiful poem of affection for Veda and dot. No matter what his life is like, Thambi Punttu wants to study well and live a good life. For that he takes decisions at crucial times. After losing his younger brother, Vedhalam travels on Vikram’s back in search of the reason. He goes from various stages of life to the gangster stage. He awes us with his realism and experiential approach to life.
Vikram is an honest officer in Veda’s eyes. He has respect for him. That is why Veda will say that I am not angry with you at one place.
Point…
Veda’s sister point is also two worlds. One is brother Veda and the other is childhood friend and lover Chandra. As his brother wanted, he developed into a mathematical genius and practiced the trick of investing in the share market. At one point he even dares to defy his brother for Chandra.
Chandra:
Puntti’s life has been a journey since childhood. She is two years older than him. Beyond the point, she has little attachment to money. He wants to live a good life with comfort and purpose. The directors have beautifully portrayed his attachment to money in the childhood scene. But at some point, the relationship with the point is more important than the money.
Simon:
A long time friend of Vikram. He is in the same encounter team as a police officer with Vikram. Being an honest officer, he takes part in a fake encounter to pay for the treatment of his child due to circumstances. But his conscience is killing him day by day. He is killed just as he is about to turn around.
Thief Police Story:
Every time Veda tells a story, they put three titles.
1. The Thief – The Thief : The story is about how gangsters Ravi and Cheta enter Veda’s life and make him a gangster too.
2. Theft – Theft : Consequences of Chandra taking the money while Veda is working for Cheta. That’s the impact Veda has on life.
3. Thief – Police : Police encounter Veda gang men. It is in this encounter that the innocent dot is killed.
Two different journeys in search of answers
Vikram is on a quest to find out how his friend and encounter team member Simon was killed, and Veda is on a journey to find out how his younger brother Dot was killed in the encounter. In the end, both of them get a shocking answer. In that shock, the meanings of the morals about life change in both of them. Vikram’s thoughts of good/bad break into a hundred pieces. Veda realizes the meaning of life when he sees that his life, which he thought he was living as Ketah, is turned into samadhi before his eyes. As the Veda says, you and I are one and the same in the end.
Vikramaditha – According to the Vedalam story, Vikramaditha removes the curse of Vedalam. Similarly, by telling his story to Vikram, Veda will find the answer to the puzzle that has arisen in his life.
Mythology and new storylines:
The case of taking mythological stories and talking about the current issues has also been persistent. Bharatiyar took the Panjali vow and instilled the core of the freedom struggle. Nandan’s story was re-imagined as the new Nandan and he spoke very eloquently about the caste issues of the day. Many people have tried to present their ideas through a myth or literature. That is how the directors Pushkar – Gayathri Sevanbar are dealing with a matter very strongly with the story of Vikramatithan – Vedalam. Vijay Sethupathi’s screen career can give Veda the first role he handled. Vikram Veda, which released after the final round, became a very significant milestone in Madhavan’s film career.
What is Dharma:
After telling the first story, the question that arises is who did it? Did you do it? The question will be who to kill. Vikram will say that it is dharma to kill only those who are told to do it.
In the second story, affection for a younger brother? A profession of love? When the question arises, the innocent brother is important, Vikram says that opposing Cheta, who is evil, is dharma.
Eventually, both Vikram and Veda will come to a point. Now there will be a question before Vikram, should he kill Veda because he is committing 16 murders? The question arises whether he should not kill himself for saving himself and making him realize the truth. The film ends with that question. New generation readers can post the answer in the comment.