Salaam Venky

Saw this movie today. Excellent performances and heart warming. Be warned: this is not your typical bollywood masala type movie. The story is the hero. Performances are top notch. Direction is brilliant. Ravi Varman's cinematography is beauty and visuals are terrific. Brilliantly crafted movie. Again this is a emotional tear jerker/ intense and will touch your soul and you will value your life more. Every cast member has done justice to their roles. The little love story in fhe first half is so beautiful. Music is great and loved how songs were taken.

Hats off Revathy Mam, Kajol, Vishaljethwa and the entire cast and crew.

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.

I am watching the movie right now and crossed half way.. this should be the best movie of kajol in her entire career. Must not only just watch this movie but should also experience it.. i just couldn't stop reviewing the movie midway .. as this is the first show and i think i should give a genuine review.

It's begins with a slow start and gradually filling with emotions, suspense, love and caring of a family.. this story is about a mother who goes to extra length to fulfil the dreams of her son who is dying of untreatable disease. I believe kajol single handedly made this movie a successful one.

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 deeply emotional yet powerful biographical film that takes us on the inspiring journey of a young boy named Venkatesh-called Venky-who battles a rare and devastating condition called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). This inherited disorder leads to progressive muscle weakness and degeneration, typically starting in childhood and marked by its severity.

Despite doctors predicting he would only live to around 16 or 17, Venky's sheer will to live carried him to 24. As he came to accept his limited time, he expressed a poignant wish for euthanasia-choosing death on his own terms-and hoped to donate his organs so that parts of him could live on in others. The film portrays this struggle with the law and the emotional turmoil surrounding euthanasia, which remains illegal in the country, with sensitivity and engagement.

One small thing I wished they had included was the imaginative closing scene that the movie hinted at throughout-that vision of Venky running with all his might, as if on a beach. Such a moment would have beautifully captured his spirit and resilience.

Visually, some shots stood out profoundly-especially the flashback scene at the lighthouse where Venky climbs the spiral staircase, echoing the elegant Fibonacci spiral pattern. The cameo by Aamir Khan was subtle yet impactful, enhanced by mysterious background music that added a layer of intrigue.

Overall, "Salaam Venky" is a really great film. I highly recommend giving it a watch.