Lal Salaam Review - Rajinikanth's Presence Elevates a Dignified Yet Overlong Film

In Kollywood director Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s latest offering, Lal Salaam, featuring Superstar Rajinikanth in a special role alongside Vishnu Vishal and Vikrant, the story unfolds in Kasumuru village. Once close friends, Guru (Vishnu Vishal) and Samshuddin (Vikrant) become bitter rivals after a tragic incident. Moideen Bhai (Rajinikanth), a textile businessman from Mumbai, has connections with Guru and his village. As tensions rise between Kasumuru and another village, the narrative explores the consequences, Moideen Bhai’s involvement, and the potential reconciliation of the youngsters.

All About Lal Salaam

Lal Salaam Review

In her first movie "3", Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth showed she can create touching moments on screen, and she does it again in "Lal Salaam". But, like in "3", she keeps these moments short because the movie focuses on a bigger story. There's a lovely scene where Rajinikanth (playing Moideen Bhai) pretends to play cricket with his son (Vikranth).

However, Aishwaryaa often skips these sweet moments to focus more on the main story. Even when she does include them, they can feel too long, like a dinner table conversation scene. While these scenes make us happy, they drag on a bit too much.

The movie's biggest problem is its length. Some scenes are too long and don't add much to the story, making it feel like the plot isn't moving forward.

"Lal Salaam" talks about religious tension between Hindus and Muslims, which is important. But the resolution of this conflict could have been more nuanced instead of feeling like a convenient ending.

Vishnu Rangasamy's camera work is smooth, and AR Rahman's songs are nice, but they work better on their own than as part of the story.

Rajinikanth's presence makes the movie more interesting, but the whole cast, especially Vishnu Vishal, does a great job too. Rajinikanth shouldn't have to carry the movie alone.

Lal Salaam Technical Aspects

Aishwarya Rajinikanth's job as both writer and director isn't very engaging, so the movie lacks excitement. The editing and camera work are okay, but the music by AR Rahman doesn't leave a big impression. Also, the movie is too long, which makes it less powerful.

Lal Salaam Highlights

Vishnu Vishal's performance is awesome, capturing his character perfectly. The movie shows village life and old-fashioned style nicely. Rajinikanth impresses with his select dialogues.

Lal Salaam Drawbacks:

The story feels like we've seen it before, and the writing doesn't bring anything new. Sad scenes don't hit hard because the music doesn't help, and the actors we don't know don't make it any better. Some parts of the movie, like certain characters, don't really add much to the story.

Verdict

Overall, Lal Salaam presents a dull and disappointing viewing experience, with average performances being its main redeeming quality. The film's flaws, including subpar writing and pacing, outweigh its strengths. Despite Rajinikanth's presence, the film fails to salvage itself. Viewers are advised to explore alternative entertainment options this weekend.