Rahul Sadasivan's making, Shehnaz Jalal's cinematography, and Christo Xavier's background score are the USPs of the movie.
'Bramayugam' is directed by Rahul Sadasivan. (Supplied)
Bramayugam stays true to its tagline — “Age of Madness”. Directed by Rahul Sadasivan, the Malayalam movie is shot in Black-and-White to offer a new experience to the audience.
Bramayugam has all the elements of an experimental film.
Thanks to its out-of-the-box formula, this Mammootty-starrer will become a point of discussion in the Malayalam industry.
Without much delay, let’s see how the movie fares:
Bramayugam is set in the 17th century in South Malabar area of Kerala.
Thevan (Arjun Ashokan) and Koran (Manikandan Achary) lose their way in a dense forest.
An untoward incident happens in the forest, and Thevan reaches an old dilapidated house owned by Kodumon Potty (Mammootty), a mysterious character.
‘Bramayugam’ is set in the 17th-century Kerala. (X)
A house help played by Sidharth Bharathan lives in the house along with Kodumon Potty.
Thevan feels that Kodumon Potty performs black magic.
A cunning person, Kodumon Potty treats Thevan as his guest. But he wants to keep him as a slave in his house.
Potty is aware of Thevan’s background too.
Thevan belongs to a backward caste (Panan). He is a good singer. His song sessions with Kodumon Potty and the latter’s crooked ideas to keep Thevan in his house make for an engaging watch.
The dice game played between Thevan and Kodumon Potty gives the notion that Potty is trapping Thevan.
Till the interval, confusion prevails as to why Kodumon Potty does not allow Thevan to leave his house. He even tells him stories of how he killed other guests who entered his house.
After the interval, the plot gets a new twist. The identity of Kodumon Potty and Sidharth Bharathan’s maid character gets a new dimension. They have their missions.
Post-interval, the fights among the three characters keep the viewers engaged.
Kodumon Potty tries to deceive the other two by throwing tantrums. Does he win the battle? This is the crux of Bramayugam.
In Bramayugam, there are some references to old Malayalam films like Adharvam (1989) and Anandabhadram (2005).
In Adharvam, Mammootty played a person who studied “Atharva Veda”.
In Anandabhadram, Manoj K Jayan played Digambaran, a black magician.
Bramayugam also has some visuals similar to the 2022 movie Kumari, where satan and ghosts appear, and there is an old house with haunting stories of the past.
‘Bramayugam’ is a Black and White movie. (X)
The Black-and-White format is the major highlight of Bramayugam.
Rahul Sadasivan’s making and Shehnaz Jalal’s cinematography are the USPs of the movie.
Rahul Sadasivan’s story and TD Ramakrishnan’s dialogues are apt in sequences related to Satanic verses.
The detailing of the story and the mystery behind the three major characters offer the audience an edge-of-the-seat experience.
Sound plays a crucial role in the film. Christo Xavier has done a wonderful job here. The background music elevates the mystery surrounding the story.
The art direction deserves appreciation for the setting and particularly the mysterious house.
Mammootty in a still from the film ‘Bramayugam’. (X)
Bramayugam is a different movie in Mammootty’s career spanning more than 40 years. The actor’s willingness to do negative characters at this age shows how much he loves experimenting despite his Superstar status.
Mammootty, as Kodumon Potty, delivers a stellar performance. His mannerisms, dialogue delivery, and wicked laugh give goosebump moments to the viewers.
He will certainly score another hit with Bramayugam after Kannur Squad (2023), Kaathal-The Core (2023), and Yatra 2 (2024).
Arjun Ashokan, as Thevan, is really good. The actor plays a serious character in the film. His combination scenes with Mammootty have come out well.
Sidharth Bharathan is impressive as the house help of Kodumon Potty. This is the career-best performance of the young actor-director.
Amalda Liz, as the witch, is the only female character in Bramayugam. She has no dialogue and gets the least screen time, but she leaves an impact.
Manikandan Achari, too, gets less screen space in the flick but is good.
Bramayugam is an experimental movie shot in Black and White. Mammootty’s power-packed performance and Rahul Sadasivan’s making make it a must-watch.
(Views expressed here are personal.)
May 06, 2024
May 06, 2024
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