Petta vs Viswasam Box Office Collection: It's a double treat for movie lovers this Pongal. Petta, directed by Karthik Subbaraj and starring Rajinikanth, and Viswasam, directed by Sivakumar Jayakumar and featuring Ajith Kumar have hit the theatres today and fans have already gone crazy over the movies. While the Petta is Rajinikanth's entertaining throwback to the kind of films he did in the 1990s, Viswasam story is set into the world of Thooku Durai - a village chief who is loved by his people. Both the films have received between three to four stars in the reviews and the early shows have received a good response as of now. Film critic and trade analyst Akshaye Rathi said that the films will be creating records in Tamil Nadu. "Both the films are highly anticipated and have been released at the time of Pongal. It's just like an Aamir Khan movie on Diwali or Christmas and Salman Khan movie on Eid coming together on the same day. Any guess in terms of numbers will be premature now," said Rathi. Watch Petta Trailer Here However, another film trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai has reported that Petta has a good start in the USA. "#Petta Opens Big in #USA Pre-sales Of Premiere Shows crosses $250,000. Good going will be the first to touch 1 Million among all South Indian releases," said Pillai. Watch Viswasam Trailer Here Another film trade analyst Girish Johar had said that Petta was expected to be released at over 3000 screens while the count was over 2000 for Viswasam. Johar said that since both big films have been released together, it would be important to see how it affects the first-day business. He further added that though it's too early to predict a number, the collections may be on the line of previous films of the superstars.<doc-sep>Viswasam movie review: Viswasam will give tough competition to Rajinikanth starrer Petta. Viswasam movie review: Viswasam will give tough competition to Rajinikanth starrer Petta. Ajith starrer Viswasam releases today and the film faces some stiff competition as it releases alongside Rajinikanth’s Petta. Viswasam also stars Nayanthara, Yogi Babu, Vivek, Robo Shankar, Thambi Ramaiah and Kovai Sarala among others. Viswasam’s trailer showcased all the elements of a successful masala film – flying men, dance numbers and a very angry, moustache-twirling Ajith. The actor has teamed up with director Siva for the fourth time after delivering hits like Veeram, Vedalam and Vivegam. Ajith is regarded as the ‘king of openings’ after delivering films like Villain, Citizen, Vaali, Billa, Mankatha and Aarambam. But this time, the film will have to share screens and it is yet to be seen how it affects Viswasam’s opening day collection. Petta director Karthik Subbaraj took to Twitter to wish luck to Viswasam.<doc-sep>It is probably the first time that a leading actor like Ajith and director Siruthai Siva have collaborated for four consecutive films. By now, they have worked together for nearly 6 years, which is enough to analyse one's strength and weakness in their craft. Even after working together for half a decade, Ajith and Siva don't seem to have understood each other's work style or the audience's pulse. They have put together their fourth outing, Viswasam, which was promoted as an emotional family entertainer. Going by the genre, this is yet another commercial flick that has every possible element of emotion ranging from father-daughter sentiment to brilliant action sequences. Viswasam opens with Thooku Dorai (Ajith), who is regarded as the don and saviour (deadly combination, we know) of the Koduvilarpatti village. He is arguing with his enemies to seek permission to hold a 'thiruvizha' (carnival). That is when we come to know about Dorai's past and why his doctor-wife Niranjana left him. Dorai and his boring sidekicks go to Mumbai to win back his love and reunite with his daughter. But his visit is complicated by villain Jagapati Babu. ALSO READ | Petta early reviews: Rajinikanth film gets a thumbs up from audience Viswasam's story sounds like a decent commercial potboiler which could have worked if the director hadn't given it a pedantic treatment. However, Siva packages Viswasam with needless songs and age-old jokes in the name of comedy. Thooku Dorai is said to be a don who uses his brain and brawn. And it's always a heavy punch that does the work for him. Ajith, in the last couple of years, has been doing roles which don't require him to be this animated on screen. However, Thooku Dorai forces him to be a flamboyant man, which is quite unlike him. But Ajith shines and seems to have had fun playing this character. Though he looks out of place in a few scenes, he holds the entire film together. However, poorly-written dialogues and an underwhelming screenplay ruin the entire experience. Nayanthara as doctor Niranjana looks ethereal and has a solid role in the film. She is a strong-willed woman who keeps herself happy by searching for greatness in everything she does. After one point, she is reduced to the stereotypical housewife, who chooses to become a mother by sacrificing a monumental career opportunity. ALSO SEE: PETTA MOVIE REVIEW Another show stealer of Viswasam is the flawless performance by Baby Anikha. She has conveyed a lot of emotions without mouthing lengthy dialogues. Director Siva still needs to hone his skills when it comes to screenplay writing. Though there is a flock of comedians in the film, none of them manages to make the audience laugh. They spout run-of-the-mill dialogues, which are annoying to hear. Viswasam is a commercial film and it is a 'sin' to expect logic in movies like these. But there is something beyond logic: common sense. Take for example Nayanthara organising a free medical camp in a rice mill, which is clearly not one of the most hygienic places to treat patients. Also, the film's runtime of 2 hours and 32 minutes works against it. If Viswasam had been made as a telefilm, it would have had a better impact. Towards the climax, the director explores the dad-daughter sentiment and gives a subtle lesson in good and bad parenting. Stunt choreographer Dilip Subbarayan does a brilliant job with the action sequences, which are neatly captured. D Imman's songs are a huge letdown; however, he redeems himself with the fantastic background score. The five songs in the album add nothing to the story. Ideally, the now-viral Adchi Thooku song should have been Ajith's introduction song. Siva places it in the second half and by the time the audience sees it, they're disappointed with the story. Viswasam is another opportunity wasted. Even after three attempts, it is quite sad to know that Siva hasn't cracked the success formula. After churning out an underwhelming spy thriller Vivegam, Ajith and director Siruthai Siva go back to the rural route with Viswasam. But the film does not do justice to expectations and is impressive only in parts, says our review. 2.5 out of 5 for Viswasam. ALSO SEE | Viswasam: Ajith Kumar had to vacate his room for Ranveer Singh<doc-sep>After saving the world from a nuclear attack in Vivegam (2017), Ajith Kumar leaps back to the rescue in Viswasam, his fourth collaboration with director Siva. Unlike the global nature of the mission in Vivegam, Kumar’s character has a seemingly modest task in Viswasam: to safeguard his wife and daughter. How complicated can this be? Very – and it’s a mission that takes long. too (the movie clocks in at a bottom-numbing 152 minutes). In Viswasam, Ajith’s bushy moustache and wondrous veshti come in handy ever so often. Set in Koduvilarpatti village near Madurai, Viswasam stars Kumar as Dorai, a rice mill owner with an insatiable appetite for violence. Dorai uses his fists more than his brain, which gets him into trouble with his wife Niranjana (Nayanthara), a Mumbai-bred doctor. But Viswasam isn’t a marital drama. Siva puts the conflict between Dorai and Niranjana on the back-burner and suddenly shifts focus to a new sub-plot with a new villain: Jagapati Babu’s real-estate tycoon Gautam Veer, who is driven by a rather bizarre motivation to wreak havoc on the lives of Dorai and family. Play Viswasam (2019). The conflict between Dorai and Niranjana is actually far more engaging than Dorai’s battle with Veer, which kicks in a little too late and never quite gathers steam. The focus on Veer sidelines Nayanthara’s strong-willed character and makes Viswasam yet another entertainer dedicated to its A-list male star’s omnipotence. From the comic portions to the emotional upheavals, everything in Viswasam is exaggerated and excessive. The over-the-topness extends to Dorai’s sidekicks, played by Robo Shankar, Yogi Babu, Thambi Ramayya, Vivek and Kovai Sarala. As Dorai, Ajith is flamboyant too, but his high-voltage charm somewhat keeps the rambling saga on course.<doc-sep>
Viswasam Director: Siva Cast: Ajith, Nayanthara, Anikha Rating: 1.5/5 The first thing that comes to you when you exit the theatre after watching Viswasam is, “Thank God, Ajith is done working with director Siva”. For the end of this collaboration means there won’t be any Ajith-starrers that rely on formulas, set patterns and clichés. Viswasam is not a bad film, it is just a long and tiring tale that we have seen many times before. For instance, Jagpathi Babu, who plays the villain in the film, has done the same role in a number of films. He is a businessman who wants to eliminate his enemy and has no compunctions if he has to kill an innocent young girl to achieve his goal. Viswasam is about a city girl falling in love with a man in a village. However, the makers take over an hour to establish these simple facts. Even post interval, there are songs that hinder the film’s pace without adding any value. Just when you are getting ready for conflict, you get served with another distracting song. Siva has taken a simple family entertainer and turned it into a superstar spectacle; and the hype only hinders the film. The first clash between the antagonist and protagonist comes so late into the film that it feels like too little, too late. A film with Vivek, Kovai Sarala, Yogi Babu and Robo Shankar should have been way funnier than what Viswasam is. Nayanthara as Niranjana is fierce and independent, but her choices don’t necessarily lead to happiness and her character stays on the surface. She meets the same fate as Akshara Haasan in Vivegam – a character who could have been interesting but her character never goes deeper. Viswasam is also proof as to why melodrama does not always make a successful film. All that drama may work for television soaps but a film like Viswasam should have been real. Alas, the Ajith starrer is anything but. While the idea would have been to make audience feel the moment of sweet victory, all it does is ruin the palette for those who enjoy a good commercial film. Follow @htshowbiz for more Author tweets @Priyanka_S_MCC ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop