Four years of ‘Trance’: A critical take on commercialisation of religion and spirituality

Movies By Arjun Ramachandran Feb 20, 2024 Read the article

Director Anwar Rasheed’s Trance released in 2020, was a neo-noir psychological thriller, starring Fahadh Faasil and Nazriya Fahadh in the lead, and did well at the box office.

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The Malayalam movie became the talk of the town for the awe-inspiring performance of Fahadh Faasil as Viju Prasad, a motivational speaker who built his empire as a pastor.

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Sreenath Bhasi, who played the younger brother of Viju Prasad, also drew applause for his fine acting skills.

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Trance delves deep into the mystery behind the business (references to real-time ones) centred around faith and religion.

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Writer Vincent Vadakkan penned an engaging script that strikes chords with healers, pastors, and even saints who claim to heal incurable diseases neglecting science.

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Nazriya Nazim’s character lacks clarity. This is one of the major flaws of the script in the second half, which confuses the viewers.

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Though Fahadh Faasil shoulders the entire film, several scenes make the audience wonder if he is mentally ill.

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Amal Neerad’s cinematography contributes a lot to the nearly three-hour film. The colour tones used in various frames add charm to the scenes.

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