Director Don Palathara's dull drama about death of a family breadwinner hits multiple points yet is an affair bleaker than death itself. Set in black and white to reduce post-production costs, Shavam describes the proceedings of a funeral by the dead man's family, friends, neighbors, and village society members who show nothing but insensitivity to the dead as well as the immediate kin. They talk about random things, engage in alcohol consumption, and share their insecurities all while having a dead man inside the house. The dialogues are good and perhaps the most Malayali thing you will observe in Shavam, but don't go in with too many expectations. Shavam starts and ends without a bang, mostly because of a lack of proper conflict and background. TN.
