MUMBAI: Kajol is back on the big screen after more than two years with Salaam Venky, and as the actress has been quite choosy with the projects that she has been doing, everyone had high expectations from the film. Also, Revathy is a good director and we had seen that in the 2004 release Phir Milenge. So, when you have an actress like Kajol and a filmmaker like Revathy, you would expect a wonderful film, but unfortunately, that doesn't happen with Salaam Venky. 

Salaam Venky is about Venkatesh (Vishal Jethwa) who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy and his last wish is euthanasia, so he can donate his organs to people who need them. How Sujata (Kajol) fights to fulfill her son's last wish forms the rest of the story. 

The movie is based on the book The Last Hurrah by Shrikant Murthy which revolves around Kolavennu Venkatesh's life. Sammeer Arora and Kausar Munir have written the screenplay, and Revathy has directed it. The first half of the film is simply boring. Nothing great is happening and there are no scenes that will make you emotional or even make you smile or laugh. 

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In the second half also, the film only picks up in the last 30-40 mins. Of course, a court scene in the climax featuring Kajol and Vishal will make you cry, but what about the whole film? When a movie has a runtime of 136 minutes, something has to be delivered to keep the audience engaged, and that doesn't happen in Salaam Venky. 

Talking about performances, Kajol is a fantastic actress and she proves that once again. She acts with her eyes, and it's wonderful to see her in the film. Vishal Jethwa is simply excellent in the movie, and even in front of a performer like Kajol, he leaves a strong mark. The supporting cast is also really good. Rajeev Khandelwal, Aahana Kumra, Rahul Bose, Priyamani, Ridhi Kumar, and Aneet Padda; all of them have done a great job. Aamir Khan's cameo is decent, but there's not much detail about his character. 

Overall, Salaam Venky had the potential to be a good film, but Revathy and the team deliver a boring movie.

Ratings: 2/5

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