Lal Salaam

Lal Salaam Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Vishnu Vishal, Vikranth & Rajinikanth

Director: Aishwarya Rajinikanth

What’s Good: The film’s commendable casting, particularly the performances of Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth.

What’s Bad: Lal Salaam fails to live up to its noble intentions due to poor execution. Its writing lacks subtlety, relying excessively on melodrama and excessive use of voice-over. Moreover, abrupt scene transitions and a delayed revealing of the central conflict disappoint and disconnect viewers.

Loo Break: Ae Pulla, a romantic song, offers an opportune time for audiences to leave and relieve themselves.

Watch or Not?: While Lal Salaam offers commendable messages about harmony and peace, its dated approach and inconsistent craftsmanship make it a middling film at best. Viewers seeking a profound exploration of societal issues may be disappointed by its superficial treatment of complex themes.

Language: Tamil

Available On: Theatrical release

Runtime: 150 minutes

User Rating:

Lal Salaam aims to delve into social drama, showcasing how personal vendettas can spark religious tensions between two communities in the fictional town of Murrabad. The narrative revolves around Thirunaavukkarasu (Vishnu Vishal) and Shamsuddin (Vikranth), whose conflict is exploited by a politician’s son-in-law for political gains. The film explores themes of religious intolerance and societal issues within a backdrop of religious harmony.

Lal Salaam Movie Review: Script Analysis

The script of Lal Salaam faces challenges in conveying its intended message effectively, leading to viewer dissatisfaction. Excessive forcefulness in dialogue and fragmented storytelling disrupt the film’s coherence while postponing the resolution of the central conflict, which confuses and disengages audiences. Abrupt transitions between scenes exacerbate this disconnection, reducing viewer emotional investment. Moreover, the reliance on melodrama to evoke emotions detracts from the overall subtlety of the narrative.

Additionally, the script’s attempt at non-linear storytelling proves ineffective, failing to justify the prolonged buildup of the central conflict. This approach undermines coherence and engagement, prompting questions about its necessity. Despite addressing important societal issues such as religious intolerance and personal vendettas, the execution lacks depth. Overall, Lal Salaam disappoints in its struggle to balance conveying its message effectively while maintaining audience engagement, resulting in a disjointed and unsatisfying narrative experience.

Lal Salaam Movie Review: Star Performance

In Lal Salaam, Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth deliver standout performances, embodying their characters with authenticity amidst the film’s limitations. Vishal skillfully portrays Thirunaavukkarasu (Thiru), capturing his vulnerability and inner conflict amidst escalating tensions, enabling viewers to empathize with his struggles despite uneven pacing. Similarly, Vikranth convincingly navigates the complexities of Shamsuddin (Samsu), portraying familial ambitions and societal pressures related to religious divisions with depth.

However, the film’s reliance on exaggerated emotions and artificiality diminishes its impact, with certain scenes feeling contrived and underdeveloped supporting characters limiting the cast’s full potential. Despite commendable acting, the film’s inconsistent direction and writing hinder the realization of Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth’s performances.