The much-awaited Varisu trailer was released on Wednesday amid a lot of fanfare. Starring Vijay in the lead role, director Vamshi Paidipally has gone old-school in making this family drama. The trailer opens with a shot of a super-rich family. The members of the family are sharing a meal and they seem very happy and picture-perfect. But not everything is as perfect and flawless as it seems. The family’s patriarch seems to be burdened with the shame of a misfit son, played by Vijay. It’s safe to assume that our hero doesn’t want to fit in, so he stands out. And it could be a source of conflict in the family. While all his brothers fall in line, maybe Vijay plays by his own rules. Blessed with plenty of money to spend to explore the diverse culture and beauty of the country, Vijay has become a seasoned backpacker. But, when the family is under attack from an outside enemy, the prodigal son returns to the family’s rescue. The unhurried and confident tone of the narrative in the trailer suggests Vamshi’s belief in the material. If he wanted, he could have cut the trailer in a way that had less family drama and packed with moments that paid ode to Vijay’s larger-than-screen persona. Maybe that was just what fans of the star wanted. But that would have been also a disservice to the audience. The trailer is not just meant to capture the imagination of the audience but also give a taste of the film’s flavour, mood and tempo. It should suggest to the audience what’s in store for them. Otherwise, it would end up being a case where the trailer was better than the actual film. Varisu seems to be an unapologetic old-school family drama. Vijay is a star in this genre. He rose to the top just by doing two things in films: championing family values and mastering single-leg flying kicks. Varisu seems to pack plenty of these two things. If you are one of those who were not inspired by the trailer of Varisu, don’t make the mistake of writing off the film yet. The actual movie could spring a surprise. The most memorable films in Vijay’s career are not the ones where he played an unbeaten action hero. But they are dramas that revolve around family relationships. For example, his 1996 film Poove Unakkaga. Vijay played the role of a man who brokers peace between two warring families to help the woman of his dreams to unite with her lover. In Kadhalukku Mariyadhai, he decides to sacrifice the chance to marry the love of his life to protect the sentiments of his family members. In Minsara Kanna, Vijay’s character and his family go above and beyond to win the approval of his girlfriend’s big sister. Priyamanavale is all about a spoiled US-groomed rich brat falling in love with Indian culture and appreciating traditional family values. In Vaseegara, again Vijay plays the hero who prioritises family over his one shot at true love. And these are the blockbuster movies in Vijay’s career and have a lion’s share in shaping his reputation as a star for all age groups. It’s understandable why Vijay may have felt a connection with Varisu, for films like this made him the star he’s today. He’s also doing such a film after a long time and may very well pull off a Pongal miracle at the box office.
