Modern Indian horror? More like a toilet bowl overflowing with bargain-bin CGI, cheap jump scares, 'jokes' well leave it here. We've had a never-ending diarrhea of 'horror-comedies' where the only terror is realizing you paid money for this. You cling to directors like Mysskin like he's the last roll of toilet paper in a crisis, even if his films sometimes smell like a philosopher's clogged septic tank, reeking solipsism at least they're not the wet wipes masquerading as cinema elsewhere.
Why'd I watch Pisasu? Emergency mental detox after "Lingaa" melted my brain like a stray turd in a urinal and wanted to flush out the horrors of it. At this point, I'm happy revisiting legendary duo Krishnan-Panju's classics than sit through another mokka comedy.
Anyway, this Pisasu flick had been festering on my watchlist since the trailer dropped, and I finally braced myself and went in, and surprisingly, it wasn't a total fecal disaster! It's got this slightly off-kilter Southeast Asian vibe, but with actual dialogue and, dare I say, a hint of something that doesn't smell entirely rotten. That trailer, though? Total deceptive wipe. You think it's just another ghost story, but nope! It's all about tragic loss at the beginning, with some spooky bits thrown in like finding an unexpected floater.
The acting in Pisasu? Surprisingly not crap. The main dude is fantastic as this insecure fella who, bless his heart, has impeccable taste in dead composers. And Radha Ravi? Color me shocked! He actually was decent He had to actually act, which is a step up from his usual roles. There's this one scene where he's crawling and crying, and you almost feel bad for him, even if it drags on a bit (maybe Mysskin was trying to make us feel constipated with emotion?). But the music was actually good, so I'll let it slide. That bit in the trailer with the woman doing her best black metal banshee impression during a ritual? Beautifully staged, and one of the film's highlights which turns out to be funny too.
But the real scene-stealer is the newcomer playing the ghost, she nails the dual nature of the character, making her surprisingly complex. Props to Mysskin for not making her the usual screaming airhead. Her story arc is what makes the spooky and the sappy bits actually interesting. Her character's journey is what makes the horror and the feels actually land.
So, yeah, a few minor clogs aside, Mysskin actually tells a story that's more than just the usual "boo!" with a good narrative that reveals layers beneath the surface of Pisasu. For those weary of Lingaa, or simply tired of the recent bilge being served up, give this a go. You might actually enjoy the film, as it genuinely acknowledges the audience as possessing a certain cognitive architecture, more like they have functioning brain cells.
