Vakeel Saab movie review: Pawan Kalyan shines in this highly commercialised version of Pink

Vakeel Saab movie review: Pawan Kalyan's hero antics overpower the important message that the story had set out to deliver.

Pawan Kalyan’s comeback film Vakeel Saab is the kind of movie that effectively works as a star vehicle with everything needed to pander to the masses. However, as a remake of Pink, it takes the issue of consent and does it a grave disservice. In spite of Pawan Kalyan’s rousing performance, the film becomes another hero-driven story wherein the core message – how ‘no means no’ - is shrouded in layers of heroism and machismo.

Vakeel Saab review: Pawan Kalyan plays the defence lawyer in the movie,

The Tamil version of Pink, which featured Ajith in the lead, struck the perfect balance between star power and the film’s feminist message. It gave Ajith the scope to shine as the hero but at the same time, didn’t dilute the impact of the story. Vakeel Saab, on the contrary, is a full-blown star-studded drama where the debate about the importance of consent takes a backseat. Nevertheless, considering the number of people who’ve been desperately waiting for Pawan Kalyan’s comeback, it’s safe to assume that Vakeel Saab has taken the core message to a wider audience.

Watch the trailer for Vakeel Saab:

Vakeel Saab is a safe and highly commercialised version of Pink, and it allows Pawan Kalyan to be in his element and do stuff he’s best known for. The film is a lot more sincere and engaging in the second half where most of the court room drama unfolds. The entire first half plays out like a Pawan Kalyan showreel, and for his fans, who’ve been waiting to see him on screen for the last three years, it’s a treat. Vakeel Saab is about fighting the right fight, and that’s why it shies away from the main issue of three independent women who have been wronged.

To justify Pawan Kalyan’s stardom, the film spends time in explaining the reason behind why he became a lawyer in the first place. A lot of time is wasted in building the backstory of Pawan Kalyan’s character and by the time the story shifts focus on the main issue, boredom creeps in. Thankfully, the second half makes up for the lull that was brought on in the first. The courtroom scenes are mostly engaging except for the heated arguments between Pawan and Prakash Raj’s character which end up as a roadside brawl.

Among the three versions of this story, Vakeel Saab is more massy and lightweight. It might lack the seriousness in which it chooses to address the issue, but it does know how to make an impact with a star like Pawan Kalyan.

Vakeel Saab

Director: Venu Sriram

Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Anjali, Nivetha Thomas, Shruti Haasan and Prakash Raj