Rekhachithram movie review: Asif Ali, Anaswara Rajan’s mystery thriller gives a compelling spin to reel and real-life events

Rekhachithram movie review: The film's strength lies in its screenplay that succeeds in engaging viewers through the investigative portions in the present as much as the flashback scenes in the 80s

A poster of Rekhachithram

Rekhachithram story: On the same day that police officer Vivek Gopinath rejoins work after suspension, a suicide confession of a guilt-ridden man unearths a 40-year-old cold case of a missing woman. In a bid to redeem himself, Vivek pursues the handful of clues left behind, connecting her past, which last places her in public at the shooting location of Bharathan and Mammootty's Kaathodu Kaathoram in 1984-85.

Rekhachithram review: It’s never easy for a filmmaker to connect an investigation and place it in the world of cinema. This, because the latter world has become so familiar – even more than the real one – to the audiences, on account of how much pop culture has been consumed over the years. This also poses great potential, if done right. And that’s exactly what director Jofin T Chacko does through his sophomore directorial Rekhachithram, which stars Asif Ali and Anaswara Rajan, and has a host of surprise appearances.

The film starts off with an investigation into a suicide video, which leads to the uncovering of a body that has been buried for 40 years. For the male protagonist, police officer Vivek Gopinath (Asif Ali), the case is a chance to redeem himself, but he has few clues to take him forward. But little by little, he pieces them together – realising that the person was last seen on the sets of Kaathodu Kaathoram.

Rekhachithram’s strength lies in its screenplay by Jofin, John Manthrickal and Ramu Sunil. The trio succeeds in keeping the audiences engaged through the investigative portions of Vivek in the present. He is armed with nothing less than a body and a few police memos to go for, but what makes it interesting for the audience, is the intricately constructed alternate history portions that even urge you go back and watch Kaathodu Kaathoram once again, closely. Even the present portions have enough suspense and character complexities that make the investigation challenging for Vivek, as well as for the viewers.

What lends the movie its soul are its flashback sequences, which revolve entirely on Anaswara Rajan’s Rekha. Who she is, what led to her predicament, her aspirations, her personality and how misunderstood she was – all of it makes the audience heavily invested in discovering Rekha, and consequently the film. This is the triumph of Rekhachithram, which also has several other high points in the stretches where they recreate the past. Just like creating a sketch – first through its outline, giving it details, shading, texturing and giving it the final touches, the makers take the audience through each of these steps, engrossingly, piece by piece, before the final reveal.

The casting is almost perfect in the film and the attention to the details deserves extra brownie points. The latter especially because the film shows how even strangers have the most profound impact on our lives. This comes through when Siddique and Asif's characters cross paths at a tea shop, when letters are exchanged between die-hard fans and actors, and even through a passing comment by a peculiarly-dressed girl to a renowned scriptwriter.

Anaswara embodies the wide-eyed, dream-filled film aspirants, enamoured by the glamour of cinema. This also makes her connect to the audience, and she owes a lot of this to the script – which doesn’t just use her as a centrepiece of an investigation, but delves into what makes her who she is. Asif’s strength – in recent years – has always been playing characters undergoing emotional turmoil but putting on a brave face to handle bigger crisis. Jofin, in Rekhachithram, once again uses this effectively, and the actor is brilliant in portraying a tainted-yet-talented police officer, without the usual ‘massy’ gimmicks.

The movie uses a solid backstory to almost all its pivotal characters, and the supporting cast’s performance maximises this impact. Sai Kumar, Jagadeesh, Siddique, Bhama Arun, Manoj K Jayan and Sreekanth Murali are elemental in telling the story effectively, with Zarin Shihab and Saleema putting on praiseworthy performances. 

Mujeeb Majeed, who had earlier composed for Asif’s Kishkindha Kaandam, once again shows he has a special talent to keep the audience hooked, without distracting them. Appu Prabhakar’s cinematography and Shameer Muhammed’s editing make Rekhachithram keep the storytelling seamless, even when it shuttles between two eras.

Rekhachithram verdict: The makers of Asif Ali and Anaswara Rajan’s successfully sketches a near-perfect mystery thriller set in the world of cinema in the 80s and the present with a set of interesting protagonists. It’s a film that will keep you invested in each of its developments – small or big. A great watch in theatres.

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