- Date of Release: 22 November 2024
- Genre: Thriller
- Language: Malayalam
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Sookshmadarshini
Introduction
One of the most important facets of the new Malayalam film Sookshmadarshini has to be its immaculate template. It almost presents the routine world of its protagonist Priya (Nazriya Nazim) with a rather frivolous tone. In fact its opening prelude signifies the present life of Priya with a hint at a past. You see Priya almost being nonchalant in rigging resume while aspiring for a job that requires her to have a higher experience at her skill set. This, until she hears a loud thud only to realise that someone has dented her car. This might seem to be a disconnected scene which still may not have a larger relevance in the film, but it sets the tone of the drama to follow. The writing doesn’t immediately dwell on the mystery too – the focus initially is largely on Priya and her family comprising of her husband Antony and her little daughter who live a quiet little life of their own. Antony remains the sole earning member of their family while being extra helpful towards his colleague at the behest of his boss, much to the dismay of Priya. And the frivolous tone of the drama aides the world building wonderfully well, to create the atmospherics that are unassuming and unpredictable.
Story & Screenplay
The thematic similarities of Sookshmadarshini with the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Rear Window cannot be denied. Both films have the protagonist frequently spying on your neighbours on the suspicion of something being amiss. In Sookshmadarshini, the mundane life of Priya changes with the arrival of Manuel (Basil Joseph), a seemingly understated personality that might seem to be a regular next-door neighbour, running a bakery of his own under his mother’s name. He seems as normal as one could be – something that is even more suspicious for Priya even as she gazes through the tinted window of her house while watching Manuel frivolously pelt a stone on a cat. This incident might seem odd but it drops a subtle hint on the personality of Manuel which would later have a huge payoff. Just before, you are also acquainted with Priya and her detective style of functioning in a brief scene – she could easily decipher the milk fiasco undergone by her husband with her observational skills! And hence, the tale of Priya and Manuel is a match made in heaven!
The mystery element of the drama here is largely different from the one that you have witnessed in Kishkindha Kaandam, a tale that did not necessarily have a hook on one premise. Unlike that, Sookshmadarshini has a hook with respect to the character of Manuel and his antics, which are oblivious to most characters around him. You see him scheming with a bunch of characters without any context that allows you as viewers to be a couple of steps ahead of Priya and the characters around her, while not enough to be ahead of Manuel. It is a kind of a meta cat and mouse game initiated by the writers with the viewers but systematically coaxing them in the drama with subtle hints along the way. By doing that, it leaves you with a lot of questions early on – What is Manuel upto? What is the context of his planning? What is the core mystery of the drama?
There is a strong Hitchcockian hold to the proceedings that finds a middle ground between the comedy and the mystery/thriller genre. This was a difficult space to be in given that the drama had the potential to go awry if the comedy overpowered the thrill elements. But credit to the writers for tapping into this fresh space with each of the two stakeholders representing each of the two tones of the drama. Priya is a character that is frivolous and much of the comedy (read : situational) arises from this fact. Manuel is a character that is mysterious and so contributes well to the mystery of the drama, particularly with a major incident that transpires in the events leading up to the halfway mark, that is utterly baffling and edge-of-the-seat stuff. This incident marks the cat and mouse game between Priya and Manuel, the former being quite suspicious of the latter given the bunch of lies that she begins to detect in his demeanor. It is an interesting interval block that shows signs of cohesiveness while dropping subtle hints of the twisted nature of the drama to follow.
There is a palpable urgency in the second hour particularly as Priya forms a team of sorts to investigate the proceedings that have been transpiring next door. And the trigger comes in the form of an exceptional jumpscare that makes things rather interesting. The writing is mindful of not to present Priya as a full blown detective – in fact her methods resemble that of a novice, trying to climb over the wall and over to the window to see if something is amiss. This, while the writing continues to drop frequent hints of actual activities transpiring inside the house that are both weird and baffling. At this point, you are well aware of the a wickedly sinister plot unfolding without quite being able to pin-point on the core mystery. This for me was a huge victory for the writers who kept all the aces close to their chest, only to systematically reveal them in the final 20 minutes. YES, I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING! To be fair, there were a few flaws with the simplicity of the finale that tonally slightly deviated from the core, but there is no denying that the bunch of twists are great and of Hitchcockian proportions. I will end things here to avoid any spoilers but the screenplay is extremely well written and another banger from the Malayalam Film Industry.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational but laced with an underlying layer of mystery and comedy, two facets that are true to this world that has been created. The music is pulsating and often hits the right notes without acting as screenbreakers in the narrative. There is an element of mystery that engulfs you with the BGM, almost as a tease of sorts while thoroughly elevating the drama at various junctures and keeping you invested. The cinematography comprises of midshots that are representative of keeping the viewers at a certain distance from the core mystery, but teasing them enough to be inquisitive, like the character of Priya. It is far enough to leave you blurred while just near-enough to keep you invested. The editing is pretty solid throughout the runtime by offering a tense transition of emotions from one scene to another. The quick montage of sequences at the end that acts as a flashback was superbly edited in order to give a clear picture of the sequence of events for its viewers. Director MC Jithin did tread a rather difficult path in terms of the contrasting tones of the drama but showed immense maturity in handling these themes. If you dig deeper, the world building itself was a tease for the viewers in coaxing the viewers to drop their guard before systematically integrating some memorable twists along the way. And at the center of it, he managed the characterization of his two protagonists really well, enough to convey of certain misdeeds but not enough to pin-point on the actual mystery. This was honestly a remarkable piece of direction that simply needs to be studied for its structure.
Performances
The performances are wonderful by the ensemble cast. Aathira Rajeev as Mridula, Abhiram Radhakrishna and Binny Rinky Benjamin as Jesna have their moments to shine. Saras Menon as Aditi and Aparna Ram as Diana are first rate and both deliver solid performances while exhibiting a solid screen presence. Manohari Joy is absolutely amazing to witness and she does a brilliant job here. Kottayam Ramesh as Roy and Sidharth Bharathan as Dr. John contribute to some solidly intense moments seamlessly in the drama, and both manage to leave a lasting impression. Pooja Mohanraj as Asma and Akhila Bhargavan as Sulu tap into a slender thread of comedy expertly, even as the broader stroke of emotions around them was of intensity and mystery. The ability of the two actors to never go overboard with the slender streak of comedy while contributing to the intensity of the drama, was a sight to witness. Merin Philip as Stephy has a superb screen presence and she is truly natural to the core with her easy going body-language. Deepak Parambol as Antony is sincere and earnest that truly contributes to his character being naive and righteous, both at the same time.
Basil Joseph has got to be one of the most versatile actors doing the rounds currently. He is seamlessly with his comedy more often than not, and has such a pleasant personality onscreen. This made him a rather intriguing choice for the character of Manuel which was intense at the core. His measured antics reminded me of his chaotically brilliant act in Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey. Imagine Rajesh from that film but a lot more scheming and intense – that is Manuel for you, an equally brilliant performance of the highest order particularly because he never gives anything away with his body language.
I have had this one little complaint from the Malayalam Film Imdustry in what has otherwise been a banger of a year, quality wise. And that is their lesser knack of creating female-driven stories. This is not to mean that you forcefully create a character but a seamless character that has gender-neutral traits performed by a female. And keeping that in mind, Priya is exactly that character performed brilliantly by Nazriya Nazim. Firstly, she hasn’t aged a day after Bangalore Days, wherein she comes across as a supremely affable personality here. Yet when it comes to emoting, Nazriya is pitch perfect almost never missing a single beat while keeping the mystery alive through her act. Remember the entire film unfolds through her gaze, and hence you see something amiss with the character of Manuel. If this gaze wasn’t established well through her performance, the film would have faltered. Hence, it is immeasurable of what a brilliant performance this is by Nazriya, given that it didn’t have any scope for errors.
Conclusion
Sookshmadarshini is a wickedly sinister Hitchcockian mystery with traces of comedy, and backed by solid performances that makes for a brilliant watch. And YES, I DID NOT SEE ‘THAT’ COMING! This is yet another banger of a film from the Malayalam Film Industry that has had an iconic 2024! Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended!
