'Bramayugam', produced by Chakravarthy Ramachandra and S Sashikanth, was released in theatres today (February 23). In this section, we are going to review the latest BO release, which is a dubbed version of a Malayalam movie by the same name:
Plot:
The story is set in a haunted manor. Kodumon Potti (Mammootty) and his cook (Sidharth Bharathan) have an uninvited guest named Thevan (Arjun Ashokan as a court singer), who is there after escaping from a life-threatening situation involving a female ghost. Potti, who comes with a mysterious past, tricks Thevan into playing a game of dice. If Thevan loses the game, he will have to stay in the manor for the rest of his life. Is Potti a black magician? Is he more powerful than he appears to be? What is Thevan's fate? What is the cook's fate? What are the motives and fates of the different characters? That's what the film is about.
Post-Mortem:
Writer-director Rahul Sadasivan establishes Bramayugam as a time period that is darker than the Kaliyugam. There are no Gods and morals; no scruples and principles. Potti represents the evil boss who expects servility from his servants. The film's theme has prompted film critics and cinephiles to say that it is an allegory that exposes the bitter truth about absolute power corrupting the human soul.
Thevan's friend Koran (Manikandan R Achari) meets with an end that seems to hold a deeper, universal meaning. As the film progresses, it becomes evident that it is not an eventful horror film but a psychological horror film with a social subtext.
So, what is the social subtext? As others have pointed out already (the Malayalam original was released a week ago), it is about the rich vs the poor. The element of lower castes and outcastes keeps making a comeback in the larger context of things. The conversations are deadly and minimal.
Shehnad Jalal's cinematography is clever. Christo Xavier's music builds the tempo like no other. It is a substitute for the lack of mainstream conversations. Mammootty is remarkable in every single scene, although sometimes his performance descends into a generic, 'Yatra' feel. Arjun Ashokan shows dread. Sidharth Bharathan's performance is solid.
For all its merits, 'Bramayugam' suffers from a lack of style and force. There is sophistication but the use of the special effects could have yielded better results. The monochrome frames would have looked more compelling with a better editing.
Closing Remarks:
'Bramayugam' is a horror thriller with a social critique of the class and caste systems. Don't expect jumpscares. This film is cerebral, not visceral.
