Varathan is a good watch.

An intriguing thriller that follows you even after curtains fall

By Mythily Ramachandran

Malayalam director Amal Neerad holds a mirror to a society ridden by male chauvinism and voyeurism in ‘Varathan.’
Backed by excellent performances, stunning visuals and music complementing the narrative, ‘Varathan’ becomes an intriguing thriller that stalk you home.

The story opens in Dubai. Abin and Priya, a young married couple very much in love go through a disappointment phase-with two unfortunate happenings- in their lives.

When Priya suggests that they return to Kerala, Abin agrees. So they arrive at her father’s ancestral property amidst the hills of Idukki. 

Their joy and solitude is soon threatened and Priya realizes that her childhood home of happy memories is unsafe for her as a woman.
In fact you get an inkling of the attitude of the local villagers the moment they enter the small town and stop at a roadside store for tea. The discomfiting stares of the men sitting outside, is something any woman will connect to. Priya points out to Abin the old man among them known for his roving eye.

The fear of being watched creeps into Priya’s mind-when in the midst of her baking she turns around to face a stranger peering through the window; the shadow of a man looking into their bedroom door; that notion of being observed Priya’s feels while undressing in her bathroom. 

Neerad gradually builds it along with cinematographer Little Swayamp-the camera close at heels of Priya and taking in her activities like the stalkers outside. Adding to it is Sushin Shyam’s background music ushering in the traumatic feeling and giving a shiver to your body.

Women have that inborn instinct to understand when the glances and gazes are just not right and like Priya they often find it hard to convince others around of the threat. 

Priya is irritated with Abin for being naïve about the intentions of Josy (Sharafudden)-a school mate who had a crush for her. Josy still lusts for her. Giving him company are his two friends and from the field that Priya’s family has let out to them-a convenient vantage point-they intrude into her life. What seemed like a worm crawling on the skin grows into a monster to unstable Priya’s and Abin’s lives.   

And, when Priya packs bags telling Abin that she does not feel safe in under him, Abin’s manliness is questioned. She remembers her father who provided the safety umbrella for his family. Abin breaking down in the courtyard, that was a brilliant performance from Fahd Faasil, one of the many the versatile actor delivers. 

Turning cinematic and giving Abin an opportunity to be the man Priya wanted, ‘Varathan’ soon becomes the story of the hero. Fahad Faasil fans are in for a treat. Abin’s lone battle with a group of men with guns and knives is well choreographed as he intelligently strikes at them using resources at hand. 

The film’s strong points lie in the onscreen chemistry between Fahad and Aishwarya Lekshmi-Lekshmi holding her own pretty well opposite Faasil. Writers Suhas and Sharfu’s characters are so real-as a woman you see their likes around.  Abin’s character graph-how he evolves from a suave Corporate worker in love with his wife to resort to violence when his woman is threatened. Abin who would not even hurt a cockroach does not hesitate to squash a cockroach in the last scene.

It’s a jaw dropping role from actor  Sharafuddeen. He is terrific and not the Sharafudeen of ‘Premam’ ‘Pretham’ and ‘Aadhi.’

Priya’s traumatic scene has been shot neatly-without exaggerating, we learn of her mishap through scenes that follow. Lekshmi brings out Priya’s anguish and anger perfectly. 

‘Varathan’ lays bare the hypocrisy of men. Some claim to be moral police on one hand and worry about our so called culture losing way to modern clothes and behavior, it’s these very men who are a threat to women. But when it concerns their own sisters and daughters, they can be monsters.
‘Varathan’ is a good watch.

‘Iyobinte Pusthakam’ is sheer poetry in every frame

When  an acclaimed cinematographer like Amal Neerad directs a film, you can expect a visual treat. ‘Iyobinte Pusthakam,’ is Neerad’s eleventh film.
The story opens with Punnose, a communist comrade who has penned a book, ‘Iyobinte Pusthakam.’ Punnose is living in the seventies when the emergency period was declared in India. While he waits for the arrival of the police to arrest him, Punnose narrates this story from his life.
‘Iyobinte Pusthakam,’ a saga of Iyob and his three sons belongs to the pre-independence era of India and is set in Munnar tea estates. When we first meet Iyob, he is a young lad working in the tea estates of Harrison, an Englishman. Harrison rescues Iyob from being thrashed by his  supervisor and soon takes him under his wings.
In some time, Harrison’s wife fed up with the Indian life returns to UK. Harrison takes in Kazhali, a Toda tribal woman (considered a sorceress and feared by the natives) as his mistress. Kazhali’s good fortune ends with Harrison’s death.
Now, Iyob assumes charge over Harrison’s house and estate.  And wastes no time in throwing out Kazhali, who is pregnant with Harrison’s baby. From a docile servant, he changes to become an arrogant and dominating master in the estate and is most feared and despised. 
But his wife, Annamma is unhappy with Iyob’s attitude towards  Kazhali and extends friendship to her. Annamma contracts malaria and dies, leaving Iyob to bring up their three sons alone.
Dmitri and Ivan, the elder two sons are a chip of the old block, but .  Aloshy, their younger brother takes after Annamma and is soft hearted. After witnessing his older brothers kill their servant girl, a terrified Aloshy runs away from home. He joins the British Navy.
The film picks up steam when Aloshy is forced to return home after being indicted in a naval mutiny against the British Queen. He is shocked to find that his father and two brothers have not changed at all. They remained the domineering masters and harassed the commoners.
While Dmitri, indulged in sexual exploitation, not sparing any woman,  the egoistic Ivan was power hungry. Trouble brews when Aloshy reaches out to the poor and oppressed and with his two brothers baying for his blood following an argument, Aloshy leaves home again.
From the word go, each frame is sheer poetry not just in the realm of photography but in its screenplay as well, transporting viewers on an overwhelming journey back in time.
Co-writers Gopan Chidambaram and Syam Pushkaran grab the attention of viewers with their taut screenplay. The characters are solid, busting stereotypes, each distinct from the other as they emerge on this vast canvas. Amal Neerad’s unique presentation lies in its silent eloquence where a lot is conveyed with few spoken words. Not letting down the writers and director is the flawless performance of the cast. It’s a powerhouse performance without any self-indulgent give away from veteran actor Lal Sr. As Iyob, he is terrific.
Fahad Faasil, who surprises you with every new film is brilliant as the quiet yet determined Aloshy. Barely smiling, Aloshy speaks only through his eyes mostly. Fahad has co-produced the film with Amal Neerad.
Whoever thought that Chemban Vinod Jose last seen in ‘Saptamashree Tashkarha’ as Martin, a petty thief, could transform himself into Dmitri, the sadistic and impotent husband of Rahael? Jinu Joseph as Ivan is commendable on debut. Vinayakan as Chemban is another versatile actor. Watch out for Jayasurya, as a Tamilian businessman, Ankur Rawther, who devious ways are camouflaged behind his omnipresent smile and the steely glint in his eyes.
Among the actresses, Padmapriya is outstanding. As Rahael, Dimitri’s wife, she plays a seductress to the hilt, who switches loyalties to suit herself. Lena as Kazhali brings to the fore a tribal woman, who has been wronged.  Somehow Isha Sharvani as her daughter Martha, flits in and out of frames as a pretty picture. Even when in love with Aloshy, her expressions don’t come through. On the other hand, Cheeru, Chemban’s wife justifies the strong woman she personified.
But the most incongruent scene in this period tale was Amala Paul’s dance, thrust suddenly into the sequence of events.
Mind you, in this story of man eat man, there is a lot of gore and gruesome violence. Yet, this one is not to be missed if you love good cinema.