Andhaghaaram Review
Star Cast : Arjun Das, Vinoth Kishan, Kumar Natarajan, Pooja Ramachandran, Meesha Ghoshal
Director : Vignarajan
Debutant filmmaker Vignarajan's Andhaghaaram has the look and feel that is of the highest standards. It’s a big, bold idea that it doesn’t entirely pull off, but you have to admire the ambition. If you have an appetite for the experimental, give this film a chance.
It's not one of your stereotype horror thrillers with a racy screenplay and array of jump scares. The filmmaker takes his own time to establish his lead characters and the last sixty minutes the film turns out to be the major revelation and yes, the grand finale is worth the wait.
The film is all about a depressed cricket coach Vinod (Arjun Das), a visually impaired librarian Selvam (Vinoth Kishan), and a mysterious psychiatrist Indran (Kumar Natarajan). Their lives are somehow interconnected and there is a dark secret. Andhaghaaram sheds some light so that we get answers to all the guarded secrets till the climax.
While audiences who have patience might enjoy the film for its final reveal, a few might feel the pace of the film to be underwhelming. However, if the runtime and slow-moving screenplay are not an issue for you, Andhaghaaram could be your cup of tea.
Vignarajan is definitely a talent to watch out for, he has believed in his script and extracted the best from his entire team. Arjun Das is in solid form and whenever he appears on screen, he holds our attention with his baritone voice and top class performance. He has flawlessly portrayed the mental agony and frustration of the depressed cricketer/coach Vinod.
Vinoth Kishan has justified his character with his effortless performance. Kumar Natarajan, the psychiatrist is a revelation and we are sure that he would appear in several films in the coming days. Pooja Ramchandran looks pretty and turns in a credible performance and Meesha Ghoshal is adequate.
Technically, Andhaghaaram is outstanding. The cinematography by Edwin Sakay can be compared to works of veterans like PC Sreeram and Santosh Sivan. Music by Pradeep Kumar is an integral part of the film and rightly sets the mood of the story proceedings. The art department and sound designer have also delivered an incredible work.
To conclude, Andhaghaaram is a complex supernatural thriller that respects the intelligence of the viewers.
