SWAG Review: Creative Idea, Confusion to the Core

What Is the Film About?

The core plot of SWAG revolves around the Swaganika Vamsam and its immense wealth, which is waiting to be claimed by the rightful heir. The story follows Sree Vishnu, who portrays multiple roles across different generations as he attempts to claim the riches. The crux of the movie Swag is about who ultimately inherits the wealth, along with the message it delivers in the end.

Performances

First of all, Sree Vishnu deserves appreciation for signing on to and believing in a complex script like Swag. Directors may promise a hundred exciting things, but it takes real conviction to translate that vision to the screen -something no one truly knows until they try. That’s why we call this a bold attempt for several reasons: playing multiple roles, appearing across various age brackets, and taking on a character (which we won’t reveal to avoid spoilers) that requires a hero with established fame. It takes guts, and that alone is enough to commend Sree Vishnu.

As for his performance, he put in commendable effort to showcase distinct variations between each character, and it shows on screen. He portrayed all four roles with ease and confidence. However, due to the director’s lack of clarity, this film may not be remembered favorably for Sree Vishnu’s work.

Though Ritu Varma starts off Swag on a strong note and brings instant interest, her character quickly fizzles out as the movie progresses. There isn’t much that makes her stand out, even though she plays an important role in the film. However, this is more due to the way her role was written and presented, rather than any fault of her own.

Analysis

Swag is written and directed by Hasith Goli, who previously directed the successful film Raja Raja Chora with Sree Vishnu.

This time, he has a highly creative idea at the core and several layers that could become too complex for the viewer if the narrative is not clear.

The opening episode draws our attention and sets the mood for a different film, and as it progresses, we realize we are watching something very different. The humor keeps coming; though not great, it keeps us entertained here and there while the backdrop holds our interest. However, the songs that come in between feel like fillers, adding no value visually or plot-wise.

The role of Bhavabuthi, played by Sree Vishnu, brings freshness with his looks and peculiar dubbing. All these factors combined make the first half passable, with an interval twist.

After what is revealed as the interval twist, it is crucial to deliver a free-flowing second half without any confusion, and the fun factor should hit the roof for the film to succeed.

However, what we get in the second half is Sree Vishnu’s track involving Sunil, which goes on and on and introduces extreme boredom. Not only that, but the film shifts from a lighter, fun tone to a somewhat serious emotional tone, which feels very inconsistent.

The main issue with the second half is the director’s lack of clarity. It’s frustrating to watch, as we can see he is trying to merge different threads and bring the narrative back and forth, but what he presents is utter confusion.

By the time we reach a point where four look-alikes meet each other, the magic should happen, but we are left with confusion and more confusion.

However, the ending wrap-up is nice, featuring neatly written and meaningful heartwarming dialogues and a much-needed message, but it comes too late.

Overall, Swag is an attempt to deliver something very different with a meaningful message at the end. While Sree Vishnu puts in his 100%, the director’s lack of clarity makes it a confusing watch.

Performances by Others Actors

Swag features a talented supporting cast, including Meera Jasmine, Daksha Nagarkar, Saranya Pradeep, Sunil, Ravi Babu, Getup Srinu, and Gopa Raju Ramana, all of whom do their job well.

Actors like Gopa Raju Ramana, who usually steals the show when given the right role and solid writing, come across as ordinary here, and the same goes for Saranya Pradeep.

Sunil does well, but there’s not much to take home from his role either; the rest of the cast, including Meera Jasmine, is just alright. The main issue is the writing, for none of the characters stand out.

trailer:

Music and Other Departments?

Vivek Sagar provides quality background music (BGM) for Swag. He is a valuable addition, without a doubt, and his work makes an impact while watching the film. However, the songs are an utter disappointment; not a single song made a buzz before the release, and even after watching them with visuals, they don’t stay in the audience’s memory. He should understand that delivering a background score is not enough without audio that supports a film of this scale.

Vedaraman Sankaran’s camera work is decent, and the artwork by GM Shekar complements the film’s theme. Though the visuals lack slickness, there are no complaints. The editing by Viplav Nyshadam is far from satisfactory.

The production values by People Media Factory are quite adequate, and producer T.G. Vishwa Prasad’s belief in such a novel script reflects his passion for cinema.