tellingsreehari

This movie intends to offer a sarcastic take on the everyday hypocrisies in society, like the peeping-tom mindset, moral policing, the "male gaze", and the undercurrent of extra-marital affairs. While the events leading to the climax are decent and the ending shot is really great, it is sad that the plot is given away in the very beginning and there are not enough engaging moments to keep you glued to the screen. It is almost just good enough for second-screen viewing, where you know what is going to happen and you just watch it because there is still something raw and natural about the making and the dialogues.

The Kanhangad language and slangs do not feel artificial or exaggerated, which is great. And it feels refreshing to see some good actors too on the screen. Especially Unni Raja (Marimayam fame), Renji Kankol (although very similar to his usual roles), and Dhanesh Koliyat, who played the brother-in-law.

The movie is not bad, but it does not have enough substance to be made into a movie. The politics it tries to discuss is very relevant and will remain relevant for another three or four decades considering how backward-thinking Malayalis are. A classic example from recent times is Anumol winning the Bigg Boss show.

Anyway, coming back to the point, I would say Avihitham is a light and easy watch on an evening when you just want to relax and not really care about anything, even what is happening in the movie.

POV filmmaking is rare in Indian cinema. It demands not just a gripping narrative but also a payoff that makes the rawness worth enduring. Sadly, Footage fumbles right from the start. The first hour is unbearably dull, weighed down by Vishak Nair's overacting and forced English accent. Gayathri Ashok, meanwhile, is stone faced and unnecessarily sexualized, clearly to bait a certain section of the audience.

The film finally finds some momentum when Manju Warrier enters, but by then our interest is long gone. Even she is another stone face, reduced to silences and blank stares.

The only saving grace is a few good POV shots and some realistic action, but they are wasted on a weak screenplay. The story drags through pointless sequences and avoids closure, almost as if the writers themselves were unsure.

This needed better actors, sharper writing, and at least some intensity. The experiment is commendable, the execution a disaster. I want more such attempts in Malayalam cinema, just not of this quality.

The documentary largely relies on the victim's narration with recreated visuals, giving it a lighter tone than expected. The victim, officers, and others speak very casually, often smiling and joking, which undercuts the sense of dread. With a title like "13 years of terror," it never builds the intensity or eerie atmosphere the story demands. Instead, it portrays the obsession of one individual in a way that feels easy to watch rather than unsettling. An okay watch, but far from haunting. What puzzled me most was how everyone interviewed seemed rather at ease when the film called for greater seriousness.