Aarkkariyam

What if Georgekutty in Drishyam was forced to hide the crime from his family too? This is, in pop culture terms, the question put forward by Aarkkariyam, directed by reputed cinematographer Sanu John Varghese (in his debut), starring Biju Menon, Sharafudheen, and Parvathy Thiruvothu. But it doesn't directly get to this point at the start of the film. Aarkkariyam is essentially a drama that unfurls at an unhurried pace, slowly establishing characters, their relationships, and texture. It remains so entirely, even with that somewhat shocking reveal mid-way. The acoustic guitar score reinstates this in the second half. Writers Rajesh Ravi and Arun Janardanan (alongside Sanu) place the story in contemporary, pandemic times. While the pandemic is what drives certain decisions in the film, it never accelerates the pace or pushes it into thriller territory.

The thrills, if any, are relegated to the characters' inner psyches. Aarkkariyam becomes a study of sorts in the latter half, delving deeper into the characters of Ittyavira (Biju Menon) and Roy (Sharafudheen), with Sherly (Parvathy) becoming slightly less significant as she is unaware of said twisty revelation. What I liked is how the film doesn't turn overly melodramatic (or spiritual) at any point - the emotional transitions are subtle. The cast really elevates the okayish script - Biju Menon rises to the occasion as Ittyavira portraying the right body language of a septuagenarian while Sharafudheen handles the curious scenes with ease. Parvathy is effective but as mentioned, her character occupies a lesser space as the film progresses to its climax.

The character Roy juggles between Malayalam, Hindi, and English (prominently in the first half) - probably in an attempt to picture him as a longtime resident of Mumbai - but the English lines especially come off as jarring. Were these dialogues in English integral to the plot or the character in any way? Not so sure. The locales (just like in Joji) and aesthetics are a definite plus - the house, the tall rubber trees all around, the pond, even the dogs eagerly waiting for leftovers every night - all of it sticks. It's a notable debut indeed, and I'll watch out for Sanu's next!

Personal Recommendation.. Go for it.. Detailed genuine drama.

Acting by all the actors is on point

I only wanted to know the backstory of Roy.

The change of languages between Malyalam, Hindi & English was too confusing for me. Although I got the concept behind it that it was set in Mumbai, but Roy's friend who himself was a Malyali was speaking in fluent HIndi.

Shirley(Parvathy Thiruvothu) and Roy(Sharafuddin), a married couple, move to her hometown in Kerala ahead of a nationwide lockdown. They face several challenges and try to overcome their personal issues.

The usual style in crime films - add some twists, there should be a villain who makes everything so tense, and finally the hero overcomes it. Or, solve a murder case, find the culprit.

But in this film - there's a cliche break, the conflict is shown in a very subtle way, there's no villain, and everything goes in a very slow pace. When you hear about the pacing being slow, you may consider not to watch the film, if you do that - you're doing a mistake. Because, here the slow-pace won't bring any lag. Not just the slow-pace, nothing tense is shown on the screen, but still you would feel engaged - How?, This film proves that tension, unsolvable-like conflict, fast pacing - all these are not necessary to make a viewer feel engaged. The question "How?" Is still here in the context, it is done by showcasing the mental state and the internal conflict of the character. In such scenes, Usually a loud and high-toned background music will be used, but here the director chose low-toned music which are not loud at all, by doing this the overall slow-pace, natural and realistic mood of the film was protected.

This film will be well-worth of your time, a different but good experience, a crime-drama which will not increase your heartbeat but something which may keep you engaged.

It is the solid attention to details and the lack of spoon-feeding that impressed me in Aarkkariyam (Who Knows), a slow-burning drama with a hint of mystery thrown midway. Biju Menon one-ups (as he seems to be doing after every other film) as he shines in a character at least two decades more than his real age, playing a father to a daughter who he loves to the moon and back. Both Sharafudheen and Parvathy play their parts really well, and together the performances enhance the overall appeal, not to mention the vivid shots. 7 stars.