The only reason why the title of this post and the images are in that order is that I watched these movies in the same order and not because the first one is better than the second. (Giving it away right here!)
People say these actors and their films shouldn't be compared. I say they should. Why? Not because there was an image on facebook which showed "Veeram and Jilla" similarities (of which of course most of them were not true). It is because both these movies fall in the same genre. Which one? - "Films made purely for monetary purposes"
I know its harsh. I really don't know what made Ajith choose a script like Veeram especially after a series of movies which were more modern and Vijay choose Jilla especially after a series of "right decisions". (Wait for it - I haven't said which is better)
People often have this misconception that if a person likes an actor, his/her viewing angle of the "so-called" opponent is biased. I don't feel so. I'm a Vijay fan forever and I don't hate Ajith. In fact, I don't see them as competition too because I know what each of them is capable of.
So, starting with Veeram, Ajith chose to do an out and out commercial film which I personally feel is one big mistake. The film's first half rides high and purely because of Santhanam. If it wasn't for him, Ajith's screen presence would not have created this big an impact. The second half is "supposedly" racy but to me I felt like I was watching a telugu flick. There was not one bit of proof for it to have come from a Tamilian's stable. The music director constantly proved my previous line. His background music throughout the movie was lifted directly from his telugu movie scores. In fact, each of his songs in this movie were utter non-sense. If we were to talk about the movie's major negatives, Mr. DSP will be right at the top.
Next comes the editing department - very sloppy indeed. Basically the entire technical department has failed the movie. It looks like the budget was very less - Ajith seems to change his clothes only during the songs to show more of his dancing belly. Overall, I'd give Veeram a miss. The fans term Veeram as the clear winner over Jilla. I don't seem to understand why. Veeram's second half gave me a bad headache. One of my friends (who doesn't favor any side) slept off during some important scene. Such is the treatment.
Jilla, on the other side, clearly is a lot better than what Veeram is. The technical team is the main strength of the movie unlike Veeram. The BGM, editing, stunts and camera work are far far better. (Note the point that I'm only making a comparison here, I'm not terming Jilla to be some world class movie). 30 mins in to the movie and I was like "What the hell! What is wrong with these guys?" and then the story takes shape. (Note: the genres are same but Jilla has a better story. Again, I use the word better). Vijay has done a decent job in all departments - be it action, comedy, singing, dancing. He always carries the movie along with him. Even though his movies have been pretty similar in the past, his performance has always stood out. There is no mainstream comedian required when Vijay is there. He just needs an upcoming sidekick like Soori to help him. Soori has done an awesome job. Mohan Lal's screen presence is bulky because that is how he looks. He speaks tamil in his usual mallu accent and has done a fairly nice job. The star cast is pretty huge. Lots of great artists used in small small places. Good job Neason (Yeah, that's the spelling). Only if the movie was short and the songs were cut, this would have been a great entertainer.
So, here is the bottom line - Jilla is original, Veeram is not!
Ajith fans might term Veeram the winner.
Vijay fans might think Jilla is 100 times better than Veeram.
Neutral folks will say Jilla is slightly better than Veeram.
Me as a Vijay fan says - "Jilla is good. Veeram is not within comparable range. Basically, I mean Veeram is bad!"
Me as a critic says - Both movies are crap! It is all a conspiracy. It has all happened in the behind to make such bad movies and to win equally.
Jilla's plot had some twists and was engaging, Veeram's plot was blank!
Veeram's director, "Siruthai" Siva has a lot of Tollywood influence. His first movie was a remake. Jilla's director Neason is original and with Jilla he remains original. Although he tries to work in the same genre, the plot was different, the treatment was different. Watch it to believe it!
Both movies are made from the same base formula. Veeram is the answer paper to a TN State Board exam and Jilla is for CBSE!
Rating:
Veeram - 1.5/5 | Jilla - 2.5/5
My Pick for you: Jilla it is...
P.S. There has been a lot of negative reviews flowing in for Jilla. I think that could be one reason which will work in favour of Jilla.
