Lal Salaam marks the 3rd feature film directed by Aiswharya Rajinikanth – elder daughter of Superstar Rajinikanth and former wife of actor Dhanush. Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth play the lead roles with an extended cameo by Rajinikanth. Nirosha, Thambi Ramiah, Vivek Prasanna, Jeevitha, Senthil and Vignesh are in the supporting cast, with guest appearances by Livingstone and KS Ravikumar.
The story focuses on the tension, rivalry and enmity between Thiru – played by Vishnu Vishal and Shamsuddin – played by Vikranth. Thiru’s father – played by Livingstone – and Shamsuddin’s father, Moideen Bhai – played by Rajinikanth, regard themselves as siblings. An incident on the cricket field worsens the enmity between Thiru and Shamsuddin and has far-reaching consequences for the respective families as well as the entire village.
Despite some structural flaws, Lal Salaam boasts some outstanding acting performances. Vishnu Vishal is once again electrifying in his performance, using to the maximum his ability to convey emotion without speaking. Vikranth provides good support while Nirosha is brilliant as Shamsuddin’s mother. Rajinikanth appears frail and is not at his peak in acting. There are some wonderfully moving lines but these are among a very subdued performance.
Thambi Ramiah makes a solid contribution. Senthil should be encouraged for attempting a serious role but a combination of stylised acting and a weak script reduces the impact of what should have been a very memorable role. Vivek Prasanna makes an excellent villain.
Aishwarya Rajinikanth needs to mature as a director. She should seriously consider roping in professionals for the script and screenplay. A lot of the film is over-written or filmy in its content, while the pace of the first half destroys the impact of what is undoubtedly an excellent story. Having a good story is not enough for current audiences. The story needs to be properly packaged in a film that extends cinematic boundaries. Unfortunately, Aishwarya has relied solely on the story to sell her film.
Despite all the media hype and praise from his fans, A.R. Rahman simply does not do enough in the songs and background score of the film. A good soundtrack and background score can elevate any film but AR Rahman fails in both aspects.
Vishu Rangasamy’s cinematography is very disappointing, offering nothing fresh in the angles, lighting or palette.
Lal Salaam has a laudable story, with a strong and positive social message and this will undoubtedly stand out above the film’s many flaws.
Lal Salaam scores 7 points out of 10.