'Bramayugam' Movie Review

'Bramayugam' Movie Review

Cast: Mammootty, Arjun Ashokan, Siddharth Bharatan and others

Music: Christo Xavier

Cinematography: Shehnad Jalal

Producer: Chakravarthy, Ramachandra and Sashikanth

Writer – Director: Rahul Sadasivan

Legendary actor Mammootty is respected a lot by the Telugu audience. He is getting a lot of love due to his versatile roles over the past few years. He has recently arrived with a unique horror movie titled 'Bramayugam'. It is released in Telugu by producer Naga Vamsi. Let us see how the movie is.

Story:

While the Portuguese were trying to transport Indian slaves to their country in the 17th century, one slave named Devan (Arjun Ashokan) escaped them and ended up in a big bungalow in the middle of the forest. The bungalow owner Kudumon Potti (Mammootty) talks with him kindly and gives him shelter. Along with Kudumon, a chef (Siddharth Bharatan) stays with them. While Devan becomes initially happy that he has a place to live, he gradually finds out that Kudumon Potti is not what he appears to be. He gets trapped in the bungalow. Who is Kudumon? What is his story? How did Devan escape from him? All the answers to these questions form the crux of the story.

Analysis:

A big bungalow in the middle of the forest, a person getting into it after losing his way, everything looks fine until he understands that there are ghosts inside the house, the person fights hard to come out of this bungalow and finally gets it done. This is the plotline that has been used in hundreds of horror movies. The makers just add a few changes in the backdrop and screenplay every time in order to make the same story look fresh. 'Bramayugam' has the same story but it gives you a different experience. Mammootty is the reason for it. Despite crossing 70 years, he is full of energy and he is showing versatility through each and every film lately. No one can pull off this role. His character looks quite simple but leaves a lasting impact. His acting cannot be described in words. One should experience it in order to understand everything in this review. His laugh in this film will make you shiver with fear. The laugh alone is worth many awards. 'Bramayugam' runs slowly and even bores you at places but Mammootty along with two capable actors and high technical standards will make the film a good watch. The regular templates of a horror movie are not seen in 'Bramayugam'. You need a bit of patience and taste in order to enjoy this film.

Making the movie black and white themed is what made 'Bramayugam' look different in the first place. It brought an interesting color to the movie. You can see that the director had a conviction behind making this film in black and white within a few minutes after the start. You may take some time to get used to seeing visuals entirely in black and white in today's world. But we get exported to a whole new world due to this decision from the makers. Despite the entire movie happening in an old bungalow, the visuals look grand. The sound designing gets people involved in the proceedings. Though the scenes are not that great and the story taking its own sweet time to unfold, we get involved in the proceedings mainly due to the acting and technical values. Especially, the mystery surrounding Mammootty's character and his acting engages people to the fullest. On the story front, the first half is quite boring. The pre-interval scene which reveals the secret about Mammootty's character will bring curiosity among the audience.

The movie picks up pace in the second half. The attempts made by the other two to escape Mammootty will make things interesting. The last half an hour is very gripping and engaging. Despite a few scenes lacking logic, you can brush them aside. Mammootty gives his best in the climax sequence. But we expect more from his character. The way his role ends will not give you the necessary kick. The terrific talent of the actors and technicians along with the director's brilliance are on full display during the climax. We get a feeling of having watched a unique horror thriller. 'Bramayugam' may not haunt you in your sleep but a few scenes are sure to send shivers down your spine. Only three actors are present in the entire movie, slow narration and lack of twists will disappoint you a bit. This movie will not be liked by everyone. But the terrific performances and outstanding technical output need to be appreciated and enjoyed on the big screen.

Performances:

We have nothing new to say about Mammootty. It is a rarity to see such a huge name taking up this kind of a role. Only a few are able to keep their stardom aside and pick this kind of out-of-the-box character. A couple of close-up shots in this movie showcase the greatness of Mammootty. As we said, the actor's laugh itself will send shivers down your spine. Arjun Ashokan and Siddharth Bharatan too did complete justice to their roles. Their performance was quite impactful. These are the three actors who will be seen throughout the movie. A girl appears for a few minutes and vanishes. She did an okay job.

Technicians:

'Bramayugam' is top-notch when it comes to technical standards. Every department gave its best output. Christo Xavier's background score will give chills to you at places. The sound design is fantastic as well. Jalal's cinematography is outstanding as the visuals wow you. The production design is great too as the entire film happens in the same place but you don't get the repetitive feeling at any point. The production values are good. Writer-director Rahul Sadasivan left a mark in the minds of the audience. He made sure that one understands that it is a director's film despite having a big star name. His narration is different. Had he written a few more high moments and executed them well, the movie would have been even better. The story could have been stronger as well.

Verdict: 'Bramayugam' – A Unique Kind Of Horror!

Rating: 2.75/5