Salaam Venky

Just saw Salaam Venky and it is an emotional rollercoaster and beautifully told film! Despite box office numbers, the film is fantastic. Kajol was superb and her son with the terminal illness performed wonderfully. Aamir Khan had an extended cameo; his scenes had a very powerful impact and his performance is outstanding! Loved the scenes with Aamir and Kajol, they both are such a great pairing on screen. Enjoyed Revathy's direction and storytelling. Though some parts are a bit slow paced, it is a must watch film for all ages. I'd highly recommend watching at night alone or with family. Hats off to the team of Salaam Venky.

I had the pleasure of watching Salaam Venky today. Such a powerful, raw & heartbreaking performance by Kajol! She delivered this role & every emotionally charged scene within the film with such passion - I walked out feeling simultaneously satisfied & devastated.

Vishal took the role of Venky and ran all the way to my heart with his performance. I smiled everytime he smiled and cried when his heart broke due to so many shattering disappointments.

This duo and the relationship they portrayed between Venky and Sujata was truly heart-warming. Every scene was powerful and the message that was conveyed is truly an important one to take home.

Kajol plays Sujatha, a mother whose son will die. She cannot changes this fact. She loves her son more than anything else but she cannot change the fact that her son is going to die before her. Not all these facts are mentioned in the film. But Kajol's emotions make it clear why she is so afraid, why she is feeling helpless. This is the most challenging role of Kajol's career and she scored star marks. Her performance is easily comparable to Cameron Diaz's My Sister's Keeper. Some will feel Kajol is even better.

For the rest, Revathy did okay as a director. Vishal is good but sometimes a bit.

Salaam Venky is a movie about the mother & son relationship, their bond, how true unconditional love means letting go & not holding back for another while because of own sake. The film deals with the concept of Euthanasia & organ donation therefore bringing more awareness about them. The film also sheds a great deal of light on disability, the plight of a single woman who faces a lot of hardships while raising her children alone, how the family suffers when one of its member is terminally ill.

Kajol plays a single mother who leaves her husband's abode when he refuses to treat their son as he's a dead investment in his own words. She faces a lot of hardships in raising a terminally ill son whose life is short but in turn of events, she accepts his incoming death and promises to make her son's life larger by fighting for his right to die with dignity and organ donation.

Kajol who plays Sujatha, is beyond great in this movie. Such a fine actress! Her eyes displays all the complex emotions she's going through within extraordinarily. No other actress in Bollywood can cry the way she does, her strength is emotions. She also uplifts the movie to a greater degree with a superb performance in each and every frame.

Vishal Jethwa acts good in the movie but his acting feels more methodical than natural.

Aahana Kumra as the Journalist is the biggest plus point for the movie, after Kajol. Her entry in the movie brings the right amount of excitement in the movie. She's superb in all her scenes.

Rahul Bose, Rajeev Khandelwal, Priyamani, Prakash Raj, Anant Mahadevan, etc. All acted good but again methodical, didn't feel natural and connected with me.

The girl who played Nandu is another brilliant part of the film. Loved her natural acting, same goes for the girl who played Venkatesh's sister.

The weakest link of this movie is the director Revathy. I expected a lot out of her but she falls short of delivering it. It clearly shows that she returned to direction after 18 years. The film could've avoided all these songs and invested more time in the storyline. The songs were a distraction to the story. Also, the film felt depressing most of the times due to the lighting, background and overall sets designed for this movie. Revathy's direction is outdated and it seems she has no idea of making a commercial film. This film better suits a direct OTT platform release.

Overall, Salaam Venky worked for me only and only due to Kajol's AMAZING performance, there's a reason why she's regarded as the best actress of this country.

This is an emotionally charged story and people looking for entertainment over popcorn are advised to stay away. A bunch of tissues is required during most of the scenes and the soft hearted may be sobbing throughout. It is based on true events which took place some years back. It is essentially the sad story of the mother ( Kajol) of a young man ( Vishal Jethwa ) afflicted with a terminal illness. He wants to donate his organs and seeks to end his life through euthanasia. ( An issue which is being discussed at high levels). The mother initially objects to his desire for euthanasia but later relents. He had been abandoned by his father many years back, his mother watches helplessly, he has a teenaged sister, and a young pretty blind girl loves him. To take up the case legally enters a young lawyer ( Rahul Bose) who initiates a court case for permission for euthanasia. Prakash Raj plays the judge who presides over the case.

Director Revathi has made an emotionally absorbing movie without any diversions of any type. All actors have performed sincerely and audiences will easily relate to the behaviour of all characters. The pace is slow and there is an atmosphere of palpable sadness. However it all appears natural considering the nature of the storyline. The director has ensured that the movie does not slip into loud melodrama and the scenes remain subdued and underplayed.