Movie: Bhadram
Director: P. Ramesh
Cast: Ashok Selvan, Janani Iyer, Jayaprakash, Pradeep Nair, Kaali, Jayakumar
Rating: ***
Bhadram is a movie that doesn’t over-celebrate the fact of it being a thriller anytime. It has all the necessary elements of tension, curiosity and the quintessential twist that a safely played edge-of-the-seat drama should conventionally possess. But, the neat, focussed approach towards its predictable aim is an aspect that makes it surge ahead as a result. The foundation is built with a strong purpose. It’s not as if a murder happens and the flawless male lead for a formality unlocks all the clues only to turn into an embodiment worthy of worship by the end of it.
Venu, a degree passout with a criminology tag behind his back, is a detective hired by a private agency. His initial sequences have him being glorified for his observational repertoire. As much as its a thriller, the film starts off with liberal commercial doses, i.e. the woo-spree episodes of the hero trying to charm his lady love Madhu. It’s not an aberration though. Initially at least, the movie is satisfied being an amalgam of entertainment and occasional wile.
The seriousness sets in at right junctures and the transition is properly used to keep track of the pace. There aren’t many characters with which the director toys. Within such constraints though, he manages to keep you guessing. The smaller clues behind the unexpected murders are opened with craft. They turn out to be so trivial when viewed specifically, but on totality, the maker purposely underplays them and does well to deceive a spectator.
But once he gets close to the climatic parts, the narrative-grip is compromised. The parts where Venu is in talks with the cop about the culprits mark the ‘letdown’ phase. You get back to the point of the journey being more sufficing than the destination which certainly isn’t a bad bet for a mystery saga. It also doesn’t mean that the twists are contrived or silly by any means, but just that you sensed more depth coming your way, given the addictive tension the premise boasted of .
The performances are very memorable for a cast without many recognisable faces. Ashok Selvan’s vulnerability is put to use proficiently. Decent sense of humor and an adequate show of composure make him fit the bill for his role perfectly. Janani Iyer is an apt counterpart to the former and in spite of her portion having lesser scope, her spontaneity helps. Save for a few direct references to actors, the dialogues are rightly packaged too. The nativity is not an issue either as the language barrier is consistently overshadowed by the screenplay-driven script. With due credit also to Nivas Prasanna’s stirring background score that never borders on the lines of being loud, it did have the potential to be a great film, but just falls short of being one. However, if you’re hell-bent on watching a thriller, Bhadram shouldn’t disappoint you much, especially for staying free off stereotypes and with its eye for elaborate detailing.
Review by Srivathsan N, who had originally written for Cinegoer.net