Valibame Vaa

Peddling prurience

Pedestrian, puerile and prurient sums up this week’s Valibame Vaa. What was Telugu’s High School is being proffered as Valibame Vaa in Tamil.

Transposing award-winning Italian film Malena set in the turbulent times of WW-II, featuring sensuous Monica Belucci into Valibame Vaa director Narasimha seeks to cater to the baser instincts of his audience.

While the Italian film was hailed for its delicate and sensitive handling of the awakening of adolescence and adulthood in a boy, Narasimha has no such esoteric intentions.

He has no qualms giving a soft porn touch to his awkward coming of age of an adolescent 15-year-old lad who lusts for his ravishing 30-year-old tutor, who revels in cleavage showing, giggle gaggle and suggestively dressing much in contrast to a teacher’s sartorial requirements.

Trust film-makers treating subjects with sensitivity and subtlety. A similar episode with Krzysztof Kieslowski’s A Short Film About Love  adapted in most mundane manner by Bollywood is another that comes to mind.

Pandering suit to prurient palates of audiences Narasimha has leading lady Kiran reveal her assets at the drop of a hat song after song as the boy and viewers drool over her and let their imaginations run wild. Devoid purpose or conviction, Valibame Vaa is one risque ride into titallation. Period.