Film: Andhakaaram
Original: Andhagaaram (Tamil)
Language: Telugu
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Release date: 24 November 2020
Running time: 171 minutes
Directed by: V. Vignarajan
Presented by: Atlee Kumar
Produced by: Priya Atlee, Sudhan Sundaram. Jayaram, K Poorna Chandra
Written by: V. Vignarajan
Telugu dialogues: Nandu Turpalati
Starring: Arjun Das, Vinoth Kishan, Pooja Ramachandran, Misha Ghoshal, and others
Music by: Pradeep Kumar
Cinematography: A M Edwin Sakay
Edited by: Sathyaraj Natarajan
Production Company: A for Apple, Passion Studios, O2 Pictures
Popular filmmaker Atlee Kumar turned producer for a supernatural mystery thriller Andhagaaram that made way on Netflix. The film was also released in Telugu with the title Andhakaaram. Arjun Das, Vinoth Kishan, Pooja Ramachandran, and others played lead roles in the film. The trailer generated a curiosity around the film, and the film unit dropped the film on Netflix at midnight.
Plot:
Vinod (Arjun Das) is a disillusioned cricket coach who receives calls on his landline from a mysterious person in possession of a spirit. Dr. Indran (Kumar Natarajan) loses his voice when one of his patients attempts to kill him. Suryam (Vinoth Kishan), a librarian, looks out for money for getting a kidney replacement. The three characters play key roles in the film, and the connection between the three form the film’s plot.
Actors & Performances:
Arjun Das, Vinoth Kishan, and Kumar Natarajan have put brilliant performances in the film. Vinoth Kishan played the role of a blind librarian in the film. His world is very simple, and people feel for him. His soft-spoken nature and courage make us fall for his character. Arjun Das is perfect in the role of a disturbed person. His role has got multiple variations. He is aggressive, spontaneous, courageous, and also innocent. Kumar Natarajan is impressive too. As a psychiatrist, he is convincing in his role. Apart from the three actors, the supporting cast Pooja Ramachandran, Meesha Ghoshal, and others made their presence felt.
Analysis:
There’s a Rubik’s cube in your hand, and you are thoroughly engaged and invested in solving it, and right when you’ve solved it, the cube disappears! That’s how Andhakaaram is. You’ve got the feeling of solving the puzzle, but the puzzle isn’t thrilling enough to satisfy your investment. But, the process thrills you.
The film opens up with the quotes ‘The devil is in the details,’ but too much of that detail might divert you or get you closer. In this case, it’s the former. Too many incidents which you can’t connect, but you know they are related. It almost drags you into the scene when it’s not interesting. The film took up nearly an hour to set-up, but the reliability factor is missing from it. You feel the characters are strong & good enough but just not enough to root for.
The crew deserves much appreciation and applause for such an attempt. Production and aesthetics are top-notch. In an industry where supernatural is comic & over the board, coming up with a supernatural script and executing it with such simplicity and honesty is really appreciable. The runtime is also a drawback. The film would’ve crisped a-bit. The background score and cinematography are worth mentioning. On the whole, the film is a mixed bag, but worth holding that mixed bag!
