Directed by: Gayatri & Pushkar
IMDb link: Vikram Vedha (2022)
(Spoilers Ahead…)
In this Vikram Vedha review, I look at how the movie creates an amazing clash between a tough cop and a smart gangster, testing what is truly right and wrong.
Vikram Vedha Plot: A Game of Right and Wrong
Vikram (Saif Ali Khan) is an honest police officer who does not mind shooting criminals. He and his team are planning to catch a highly dangerous gangster named Vedha (Hrithik Roshan). Everyone is shocked when Vedha simply walks right into the police station to surrender himself. The rest of the story is about the tough choices you make when both options are good, or when both options are bad.
I have not seen the original Tamil movie. This is a habit I recently formed. It helps me have a fresh point of view when I go blind into a remake.
The Vikram Betaal Connection
I loved the idea of dividing the story into three parts: ‘Chor-Chor’, ‘Chor-Chorni’, and ‘Chor-Police’.
It works especially well with that terrific animated opening scene. It tells the classic story of ‘Vikram Betaal’, where Vikram is warned to never listen to the ghost Betaal, who will only confuse him with stories. The movie even recreates the famous image of Betaal sitting on Vikram’s neck later in the story. We see Saif driving a car with Hrithik sitting right behind him in the backseat, talking to him.
Saif Ali Khan as the Righteous Cop
Very early in the movie, we see a well-shot action scene. It shows that Vikram firmly believes there is only ‘right or wrong’ and ‘good or bad’, with nothing in between. He says that despite killing people in police encounters, he always gets good sleep. This is because he knows deep down that he has only killed bad people who had no right to stay alive.
Vedha’s stories do exactly what they are meant to do. They bring a moral lesson that slowly makes Vikram doubt everything. The conflict part sadly is not fully explored and feels a bit rushed, especially in the final act. But otherwise, Saif Ali Khan’s acting is top-notch. All three of their interactions over Vedha’s stories make for a very compelling watch.
Hrithik Roshan Steals the Show
Hrithik Roshan is in fantastic form. His walk, his bearded look, and his style are perfect. At times, it is tough to know if he is really telling the truth in his stories, or if we are going to see some sort of betrayal in the end. I am happy the story did not go that way, though.
More than the action scenes, I love how we get to see Hrithik explain how difficult it is to draw a line between good and bad. I also learned about a dish called ‘nihari kulcha’, which is a must-try if I ever go to Lucknow!
It is also great to see Sharib Hashmi in a negative character, and he does really well in it. Maybe I will get to see him try even more grey roles in the future.
A Disappointing Supporting Cast
The rest of the cast, however, is a letdown. This is mostly because the writing did not offer them much to do. Radhika Apte is very much wasted in a role that is not well developed. Satyadeep Misra could have been given a few more scenes without revealing the twist attached to him.
Rohit Saraf and Yogita Bihani play half-baked characters. If they were written better, they would have added a lot more emotional touch to the story. The same goes for the police team working with Vikram.
Music and Background Score
The background score by Sam C.S. is just too good. That ‘tana na tana na’ theme is exciting to hear without being overdone.
The main music songs, however, are very average. I totally get that the main reason for the song ‘Alcoholiya’ must be to sneak in some dance moves for Hrithik. Yet, it was a boring song to sit through. The only good part was Hrithik’s crazy dance moves at the very end.
Vikram Vedha Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, Vikram Vedha works best when both Saif and Hrithik are together in the frame, setting the screen on fire with that amazing background score and all the moral teachings. It is a good watch, but it falls just short of being great.
My Rating: 6.5/10
(In case you missed it, check out my recently published review of Ek Thi Daayan).
