In Jean-Paul Sartre’s 1944 play ‘No Exit’ (unique French title, Huis Clos), one would see three demanded souls reaching hell. They count on hearth and torture units, nevertheless, as a substitute, they’d discover themselves locked in a plain room from which they can not simply go away. In Rahul Sadasivan’s Mammootty-starrer Bramayugam additionally, one would discover three damned souls caught up in an previous mana (home of aristocratic Namboodiri Brahmins). Sartre in “No Exit” delves into the philosophical standpoint that “Hell is different folks,”. Offered as a interval horror drama, this black and white movie additionally presents a comparable viewpoint, the place every character arrives at a juncture the place they notice that hell is different folks exerting energy over them.
The movie begins with a scene depicting two males who’ve misplaced their approach within the forest, in search of shelter for the evening. Nevertheless, one among them inadvertently falls into the enchanting snare of a yakshi, who lures him to his demise. The second, Thevan (Arjun Ashokan), realises that it’s a yakshi and runs, and he enters the mana. At this very second, this author too, sensed getting lured into the “world of insanity” created by Rahul Sadasivan, which happily gave “one hell of an expertise”, actually!
Contained in the previous mana, which is in a dilapidated state, Thevan encounters Koduman Potti (Mammotty)—an previous man—and his helper (Siddharth Bharatan). From there the movie follows the attitude of Thevan, who would quickly discover the darkish secrets and techniques about Potti and his helper. Mammootty delivers an impressive efficiency, embodying an exceptionally crafty and eerie evil character. Bramayugam stands as one more testomony to the veteran actor’s meticulousness and discernment in selecting scripts. The movie serves as a testomony to the extent of parakaya pravesha that the tactic actor can obtain when introduced with a difficult character. Mammootty portrays Potti with a various array of mannerisms and distinctive physique language that exudes each authority and attraction.
Bharatan’s character is a stone-faced one, which hides secrets and techniques from each Thevan and Potti. And, the actor-director does justice to his character. In the meantime, Ashokan will get an opportunity to ship a full vary of expressions from hope to final horror. Amalda Liz portrays the Yakshi character; regardless of having no dialogue and minimal display time, Sadasivan ensures that Liz’s portrayal leaves a major influence on the viewers.
When viewing Bramayugam, it is clear that Sadasivan’s determination to current the movie in black and white goes past its style as a interval drama. It’s inside the interaction of sunshine and shadows, accompanied by the haunting music, that the filmmaker conceals the horrors. There’s a intelligent use of graphical storytelling whereas the narrative takes a dip right into a flashback. Sadasivan, a filmmaker who has already demonstrated his proficiency within the horror style along with his 2022 movie Bhoothakalam, finds himself bolstered by an much more sturdy script in Bramayugam.
Famend author T.D. Ramakrishnan, celebrated for his novels comparable to ‘Alpha’, ‘Francis Itty Kora’, and ‘Sugandhi Enna Andal Devanayaki’—the place he deftly intertwines historical past, anthropology, science, and myths—serves because the co-writer of Bramayugam. Ramakrishnan’s expertise for seamlessly mixing fantastical realms with the mundane is obvious in Bramayugam as nicely. Furthermore, the dialogues he crafted for this movie function an exemplary mannequin for aspiring writers of interval dramas.
Shehnad Jalal—who was the cinematographer for Bhootakalam—did the function of Director of Images (DOP) for Bramayugam. Jalal’s visuals are mesmerizing and seamlessly complement the narrative and world crafted by Sadasivan. Christo Xavier’s scoring and music completely complement the movie’s tone and remedy. There is a sense of minimalism evident within the association of the six songs inside the narrative. The artwork crew of Bramayugam additionally deserves reward for his or her creation of a haunting and decrepit mansion, which serves as a major character within the story.
Bramayugam has a significant reliance on visible storytelling, however its memorability is not derived from visible gimmicks or soar scares. As a substitute, it is the intricate world-building orchestrated by Sadasivan, with important assist from Ramakrishnan, inside a confined but evocative setting, that actually captivated this reviewer. As soon as extra, the movie underscores the timeless adage that content material is king!
Film: Bramayugam
Forged: Mammootty, Arjun Ashokan, Siddharth Bharatan
Director: Rahul Sadasivan
Ranking: 4/5
