Neelavelicham

For some one like me who is not from south doesn't understand the language but have certain level of expectations from malayalam movie this movie does not reach to that level. I watched it with sub titles so it was not difficult to understand the movie. What i liked most about this movie is the location as far as the village near the scene i dont know if that was real or a movie set but it looked beautiful, its definitely not a horror movie but few scenes are little scary, the back ground score is good, the biggest fault is the script very poor, the climax action scene seems unnecessarily dragged and it look foolish to see the leading character trying to save the villian who murdered two people and was also planning to kill him.

I admire Aashiq Abu for making this aesthetic treat.

It is a risky step, to remake an old time classic and adapt a known story to the present-day audience.

The music is mesmerizing and the frames are aesthetically supreme.

There are problems with the casting, especially the lead actress, they could have cast an actress with more talent and versatility perhaps.

The dialogues could have been adapted better for the present times, some of Basheer's cheesy lines could have been modified to give it a relatable feeling for the present-day viewers.

But, I cannot take anything away from the tremendous effort of the director in recreating the time-period and experimenting with a movie that looks beyond just commercial success.

Film Review: Malayalam language film Neelavelicham streaming on Prime Video ( available with English subtitles!!)

Directed by Ashiq Abu, Neelavelicham tells the story of a writer, Tovino Thomas ( Basheer )who rents a mansion that is reportedly haunted by the spirit of a young woman who committed suicide after being betrayed in love . As he starts staying there and writing the tragic love story between Bhargavi ( Rima Kallingal) and Roshan Mathew (SasiKumar) he stumbles upon evidence that suggests something otherwise. Will Basheer uncover the truth & free Bhargavis soul ?

The film is based on Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's renowned short story and a remake of the 1964 blockbuster, Bhargavi Nilayam.

To watch or skip - cinematography is nice and the beautiful sleepy seaside village ambience has been captured beautifully. Lead cast including Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal, Tom Chako & Roshan Mathew have performed well in their respective roles!!

On the flip side the narrative might seem a bit slow especially in the first half. Some songs and flashbacks end up slowing the pace of the film bigtime. However we have to remember that this is a remake of a film from a bygone era and the reconstruction hits the mark perfectly!!

If u have watched Guru Dutt & Meena Kumari's Sahib Biwi aur Gulaam or Satyajit Ray's Monihara .... This film will remind you of the treatment given to these evergreen classics !!

I enjoyed it but be warned, this is a film devoid of any chills thrills and action ... Hence not everyone's cup of tea!!

Going with 3/5 for this one .. Adios 🙂!!

#Neelavelicham #sanjuzzreviews #tovinothomas #RoshanMathew #tomchako #PrimeVideoIN.

Director shows a house with no electricity in the movie . Hero always carries a kerosene lamp. But the house has electric fan, switch board and electric lights shown in the movie . Why don't the director switch on those electrical device rather than giving a kerosene lamp to the hero. Director has gone to 1960 without giving any attention to minute detail and completely ruined the plot . The actress selection for the ghost also ruined the movie . It's a complete goof up in every sense , right from direction to casting. Tovino and shine tom has done a good job . Movie is boring , don't waste your time.

When watching the newer version of the film, I was taken aback by how the editing quality was not nearly as good as the original version. The cuts between scenes felt disjointed and awkward, and the flow of the story was not smooth. Additionally, I felt that the lead actor, Tovino, was not up to the task of handling the main role. His performance lacked the charisma and energy that the previous actor, Madhu, had brought to the character.

Furthermore, I also noticed that the characters in the newer version of the film seemed to be much older than their counterparts in the original version. However, their acting skills did not seem to be up to par with their seniority. They appeared to be struggling with their roles and emotions, especially in comparison to the original performances. Overall, I was disappointed with the newer version of the film as it could not capture the charm, vibrancy, and energy level of the original version.