VISITOR COLUMN

It is getting familiar these days with filmmakers and producers trying to make a successful brand of a film, move on to the next step and make sequels or use the title as a booster for the fresh attempt at the same genre. ‘Thirukumaran Entertainments’ have just done exactly that and the result is more positive than negative.

 

Film starts off with Ashok Selvan (Jebin) losing his father Nasser after spending his last few months of his life in coma. When our writer is informed by his lawyer that there is a villa in his name, seeing his financial situation he and his love partner Sanchita (Aarthi) is happy to hear about it. However he is also informed that Nasser moved out of the house for some reasons he never told his son about it.

 

The movie thus travels in the expected route as he moves into the villa and is impressed with the decorations and paintings of his father. Sanchita who is a painting student tries to suppress his selling ideas to meet his problems. However there is one strange painting which leads him to the hidden door and there he finds many paintings which convey the incidents that he experienced in his life. Sachitha yells at him that it’s a coincidence and his book finds a publisher and another painting becomes a reality.

 

Incidents heat up and the background score make sure your attentions stay focused. This is getting more and more uneasy for living in that villa and he decides to sell it once and for sure. When he decides that paintings are to be destroyed we get the first real experience of what is to be called as negative energy signaling the break. You hardly remember that this is a horror film but it is the suspense that keeps you engaged.

 

Like the stand out performer in this genre, Pizza, director Deepan too follows a route that is tougher to convey and he uses it well. Just like Karthik Subbaraj found Vijay Sethupathy, Deepan has found Ashok Selvan and he fits in the role of a writer very well. A similar romance song could have been avoided as it may create a copy feel among some.

 

What is behind the mysteries surrounding ‘The Villa’? What is the connection between the painting and his life? He seeks help from his friend who takes him to the researcher and main events open up to make your body shake up a bit. You will be satisfied with the climax and leave the cinema in a good mood for sure.

 

For people who are familiar with this genre of movies it ‘MAY’ fail to make any sort of appeal for the first half an hour but that doesn't mean it is boring. The scientific reasoning given by the man who researches this black energy might be new to Tamil. Leo John Paul’s editing is a crucial factor, reducing the length of the movie to within just an hour and forty minutes. It is a brave effort from the debutant director and editor to execute this move. Photography by Deepak Kumar Padhy adds more life to the scenes. Visual effects were used with care and they fall in place almost perfectly. It is heartening to see many newcomers follow the new paths to their glory and the manner they succeed makes me feel good about the new crop of directors. Background score remind you of Pizza and is nothing wrong with it. Santhosh Narayanan has given a nice output to the frames of Deepak Kumar. 

 

The scenes in the first half rely on BGM to a larger extent to keep the suspense going and it sometimes look there is nothing in it and there is very few ‘I know what’s gonna happen’ scenes. It is definitely not a horror but a suspense thriller. It may be a little low in thrilling you. Except nothing and be seated with an empty mind you will be richly served.

 

One more winner for ‘Thirukumran Entertainments’ and one more success for a first time director. 

 

Marks: 8/10