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Aavasavyuhum

Farhad Dalal
By-
Farhad Dalal
Rating
4.5 Star popcorn reviewss

Introduction

We are still a day away from the weekend but the new releases have started pouring in. With that I finished watching the new Malayalam film Aavasavyuham streaming on SonyLiv. The film was a winner of Best Screenplay at the Kerala State Awards. Having said that, I knew very little about the movie and I went into the movie blind without having watch its trailer too. So in other words, I didn’t know what I was getting into although I was very curious as this was a Malayalam film. The next two hours just made my jaw drop and how! So then is Aavasavyuham worth your time, lets find out.

Story & Screenplay

Usually I do write a couple of lines on what the story of the film is but it is better if you enter this film with as little information as possible. This is not because anything which I say would act as a spoiler but the viewing experience here is such that anything which I say will not do justice to it. The story is almost like a mockumentary, a genre which is absolutely unheard of in the Indian circuit. The socio-political commentary which the film provides, makes this story a relevant one and something which is told in a fresh manner. The screenplay at just under 2 hours is just perfect for a film like this, and it keeps yours interests intact throughout.

Now because I knew very little about the film, it took me a while to figure out whether this film was a documentary or a semi-documentary at the very start. A few reels into the film I realised that the entire setup is like a mockumentary – something which you have seen in the series like The Office. The diminishing environment is cleverly conveyed through a series of ‘interviews’. Soon, you are introduced to the protagonist who seemed to be straight out of a fable.

The protagonist has a distinct connection with nature and that is represented through so many esoteric elements. The meta references of the people equating him to Aquaman was hilarious, this was almost a superhero from the Unbreakable film. From being equated to a rare breed of frog to a whale to even nature in general, the film kept throwing anecdotes about who the person actually is throughout this three act structure.

In between, the writers smartly incorporate the socio-political commentary of the drama. Right from the fact as to how nature has been getting ignored to the disparity between the rich and the poor to the horrible state of the ‘powerless’ authorities and the media or even where religion stands in our country today, all the curveballs are expertly dealt with in the drama. At no point did I feel that any of these topics felt forced or out of place. The writing was pitch perfect, crisp and never overstayed its welcome.

The entire myth of a mermaid being found(based on a true incident) leading to thrill and amusement was so well written here. The screenplay has so many layers to be discovered which makes for a jaw dropping viewing. It is almost a mirror to the current situation of the world where people are more focused on religion and politics and less focused on things which truly matter in the survival of human race. The satire is outstanding and it makes you laugh in places yet sit back and think about all our wrongdoings. In a scene when the protagonist fights back, it was almost like showing the other side of nature which would retaliate against mankind. The drama ends on a poignant note summing up a screenplay which is one of the best this year!


Dialogues, Music & Direction

The dialogues are witty and very smartly written which beautifully enhance your viewing experience while making you reflect on your choices. It was the brilliant BGM that allowed you to understand the drama(that of it being a Mockumentary) at the very beginning. It is simply terrific. The cinematography is breathtaking, capturing some of the most beautiful species of nature. In the drama, the camerawork adds a bit of edginess to it. The editing is crisp and this for me was the unsung hero of the film. Director Krishand has done a phenomenal job. This was a very intellectual screenplay which needed some amount of skills to be executed. And the direction here is perfect to the T. The fact that this was even attempted was credit worthy but to spin it off brilliantly meant that the direction deserved some brownie points.

Performances

The performances comprised of so many new faces which added to the authenticity of the drama. Archana Suresh, Sreenath Babu(brilliant), Nikhil Prabhakaran and Ajaya Ghosh all have their moments to shine. Geethi Sangeetha as Madhusmitha is first rate. Nileen Sandra as Lissy is terrific and does full justice to her character. Both represent certain traits of humans against nature in general. Zhinz Shan as Vava is excellent as the character which represented greed and selfishness, not caring about his exploits till he was reaping the benefits of nature. Rahul Rajagopal as Joy is absolutely outstanding as the mysterious ‘superhero’. His mannerisms are on point summing up a memorable outing for him.

Conclusion

Aavasavyuham is perhaps the Best Malayalam out this year(on par with Pada but with a totally different approach. It was such a honour to witness this brave and gutsy film. Drop everything that you are doing and watch Aavasavyuham now! Available on SonyLiv and Highly Highly Highly Recommended!

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