Did Vakeel Saab get it right?

What’s the definition of an ideal remake? The most obvious answer – one that faithfully captures the soul of the original, while making necessary tweaks in a different regional setting. In the case of the Telugu remake of Pink, Vakeel Saab, though, the balance seems to have gone for a toss. The script has undergone a huge makeover to suit Pawan Kalyan’s image, something that many feared during the title announcement and the initial teaser of the film.

There has been some criticism against the Venu Sriram-directed film about completely ignoring Nivetha Thomas, Anjali and Ananya in the initial promos. After all, the story revolves around the female characters. The song release of Sathyameva Jayathe yesterday, also confirms the ‘Pawan Kalyan-adoring’ tone of the film. No doubt, Thaman and Ramajogaiah Sastry have done a fine job with the song, but this makes it very obvious that Vakeel Saab has been approached like any other masala entertainer.

One very well knows that even a superstar like Ajith in the Tamil remake of Pink had placed his faith completely in the script of the original and didn’t tamper with the script but for the flashback. From the promos and songs, Vakeel Saab has opted for a commercial treatment of an incredibly sensitive subject surrounding a woman’s consent. On the positive side, this will result in a relatively fresh film that’s different from the original but in terms of the treatment, there’s every chance that the message in it may get diluted.