Pranav Mohan Lal’s ‘Aadhi’ a gripping thriller

Director  Jeethu Joseph takes viewers on a roller coaster ride as he follows the life of Aadhi- an aspiring musician falsely implicated in a murder    

Directed and scripted by Jeethu Joseph (of ‘Drishyam’ fame), ‘Aadhi’ brings Pranav Mohan Lal back into cinema.
Lal Jr.  made his beginning as a child actor in 2002 with ‘Onnaman.’ With his second film, ‘Punarjani’ he won the Kerala State award for Best Child Artiste.
‘Aadhi’ marks his debut in the lead role- a film that he will look back with fondness. Lal Jr. with his performance proves his acting genes.

‘Aadhi’s plot is simple though not new.
Aditya Mohan, (Pranav Mohan Lal) the only child of his parents, (played by Siddique and Lena) is an aspiring music composer looking for that big break into films.
At the suggestion of a friend, he gets an opportunity to perform inside an elite club of Bangalore- a place frequented by Tamil and Telugu music directors. Aadhi as he is fondly called hopes to impress one of them. There he bumps into Anjana, (Aditi Ravi) an old school mate and it’s the regular catching up with her.

An unwarranted incident at the hotel overturns his life there. Aadhi finds himself falsely implicated in a murder-Arjun Reddy, son of Reddy, a notorious business magnate meets his end from the roof of the hotel.

With Reddy (Jagapathi Babu) out to avenge his son’s death  Aadhi goes on the run. 
Does Aadhi prove his innocence and escape from Reddy’s clutches?

Joseph’s neat writing rolls out a screenplay that is slickly executed and keeps viewers fixed on the screen.
Pranav Mohan Lal’s  Aadhi is the boy next door without the trappings of a super hero image.
Aadhi shares a close and informal equation with his parents- mother Rosy (Lena) is a Christian who eloped with Mohan, his father ( Siddique) a Hindu.
Unlike Mohan, Rosy believes in Aadhi’s choice of career and supports him.  When Mohan expresses his anxiety to Aadhi, telling him that he has no knowledge about the cinema industry he probably spoke for many parents out there.  Yet he gives Aadhi two years to pursue his ambition. Moments shared between Aadhi and his parents are beautifully portrayed by Lena and Siddique-the two natural  performers make their characters real.      

With Reddy’s goons on his heels, Aadhi finds shelter in a stranger’s home. Sharath (Sharafuddin), a Malayali, living in Bangalore sees a common enemy in Narayana Reddy. He is all out to help Aadhi.

Aadhi’s parkour training comes to his rescue while on the run. Giving an adrenalin rush are well choreographed action scenes as Aadhi races through alleys, leaps over walls and jumps across roof-tops. You watch mesmerized. Mohan Lal surprises with a cameo appearance. That’s an amusing scene actually.

Joseph’s supporting characters have are well created. Sharafuddin’s  Sharath is someone you trust wholly. His elder sister, Jaya is all bark with no bite-the sharp tongued chechi, who slowly warms up to Aadhi. Joseph’s little details are visible. Consider the scene where Jaya walks into the room, to find Aadhi tending to her bedridden mother. Anusree, the versatile actress, beautifully conveys Jaya’s gratitude through her eyes.

Jagapathi Babu easily slides into the villain’s shoes-it’s not a new role for him, but here it’s less loud and subdued.
 Siju Wilson  and Meghanathan (as Mani Anna who helps Aadhi) lend ample support.

Satheesh Kurup’s cinematography complements Joseph’s story and as curtain fall, the splendid climax is captured brilliantly.