INTRODUCTION
Salaam Venky is a movie about a man’s right to die and the emotional journey of his mother as she grapples with the decision to seek mercy killing for her son, who is suffering from a degenerative disease.
PLOT SUMMARY
Venky (Vishal Jethwa) is a 24-year-old man suffering from DMD (Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy), a degenerative disease that causes the muscles to stop functioning one by one as the person ages. At the beginning of the movie, Venky is wheelchair-bound and his end is near. He asks his mother, Sujata (Kajol), to fulfill his last wish, which is to undergo euthanasia and donate his organs to those in need. Sujata initially refuses but eventually agrees and decides to go to court to seek permission for mercy killing. However, euthanasia is illegal in India and this decision leads to a long and difficult courtroom battle.
SCRIPT ANALYSIS
The movie raises an important issue, but the writing is weak, particularly in the first half, which is slow and boring. The writing improves in the second half, but still fails to impress due to certain loose ends. The dialogues are better, but do not make up for the overall weakness of the script.
ACTING PERFORMANCES
The performances are the saving grace of the movie, particularly those by Kajol, Vishal Jethwa, and Rajeev Khandelwal. Kajol underplays her role and delivers a convincing performance as the mother struggling with a difficult decision. Vishal Jethwa also does a good job in portraying the progression of his character’s disease. The supporting cast, including Rahul Bose, Priya Mani, and Aahana Kumra, also leave a strong impression.
NEGATIVE ASPECTS
One of the main negative aspects of the movie is the weak script, which is slow and boring in the first half and has some loose ends in the second half. The movie also fails to provide sufficient background information about the characters, particularly Sujata and Aamir Khan, leaving viewers with some confusion.
POSITIVE ASPECTS
Despite its weaknesses, the movie does have some touching moments and manages to address an important issue in an emotionally powerful way. The performances by the main cast are also strong and help to elevate the material.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
The direction by Revathy is average, with some scenes handled well but others falling flat. The movie also lacks a strong visual style, with the cinematography and production design being unremarkable.
CONCLUSION
Overall, Salaam Venky is a movie with some strong performances and touching moments, but it ultimately falls short due to a weak script and average direction.