Veyil movie review: Shane Nigam revels in Sarath Menon’s stellar family drama about the prism of perspectives

Though the film unravels the different chapters in Siddharth’s life, it gets complex with every layer and character, but Sarath weaves his web so masterfully that by the end you get to see the magic that he has been creating

A still from Veyil

Veyil

Story: Since his childhood, Siddharth believes he is neglected with his mother caring more for his sickly elder brother. All three, however, make sacrifices that none of them truly understand or care to, caught in their own egos and problems. Veyil spans two years in the life of its protagonist Siddharth – starting from his Plus-2 years – and represents how different incidents, people and their perspectives of him shape his life and those around him.

Review: In a scene in Veyil, Siddharth (Shane Nigam) and his elder brother (Saed Imran) air out their grievances while the former’s best friend Merin (Merin Jose Pottackal) watches on, with tears streaming down. The brothers have gone through hell, but while we get to see more of Siddharth’s side of the story, we hardly get to know about what his elder brother has endured till then. But in that moment, when the latter opens up, we see him in a different light, the metaphor which has been aptly used in the title of director Sarath Menon’s stellar debut.

Veyil is peppered with moments like these – fleeting at times but impactful considering how all of them shape up Siddharth’s decisions and the effect they have on his life as well as those around him. More than having a concrete storyline, the film is treated more like the seasons in Siddharth’s life. It’s not an easy ride, as he transitions from a teenager to an adult in these two years, especially when he decides to give up on his love, is treated the second best in his family and has a penchant for flying off the handle and attracting trouble.

While it’s so easy to lose control of such a film where the director has to play with the characters’ thoughts without communicating them for most parts, this is where Sarath flaunts his incredible craft. Though the film unravels the different chapters in Siddharth’s life, it gets complex with every layer and character, but Sarath weaves his web so masterfully that by the end you get to see the magic that he has been creating. Each character, presents two sides of the story by the end of Veyil, and thus letting you see the bigger picture that the filmmaker has been building up to.

Apart from Shane Nigam, Shine Tom Chacko and James Eliya, the most of the cast is relatively new and like Sarath, they don’t let that stand in the way of delivering impactful performances. Sona Olickal, Merin Jose and Saed Imran stand out in their noteworthy roles.

Shane, who has been jumping from strength to strength, shines once again as Siddharth. What starts out as typical Shane Nigam territory of a rebellious youth who goes through turbulent phases, soon finds a different layer, when Siddharth is conflicted. And Shine brings in that subtle balance, which shows his maturity as an actor. The scenes between him and Sree Rekha, who brilliantly plays Siddharth’s mother, have a crackling quality to them. In fact, Veyil is as much Sree Rekha’s film as it is Shane’s. Shine, meanwhile, plays a role that somehow is probably the only disconnect in the film, as you can’t quite nail down what Sarath wants to express with him even though he, like the rest of the characters, gets to essay the two extremes of the spectrum and does it with finesse. Geethi Sangeetha and James Eliya too get to play great roles that make use of their talent.

Shaz Mohammed’s cinematography doesn’t let you relax, and keeps you invested in the story. The movie is filled with beautiful frames that again display the multiple perspectives. For instance, there’s a frame where the brothers stare at a lake during the rain and towards the end, there’s another involving the two in an unexpected embrace. Praveen Prabhakar’s editing is crisp and though the film spans close to 2 hours and 40 minutes, it doesn’t quite feel like it. Pradeep Kumar’s music along with Renganath Raave’s sound design further elevate this well-crafted and acted film.

Verdict: Director Sarath Menon makes a brilliant debut with Veyil, which is bolstered by great performances from its lead cast. With each viewing, the well-crafted movie will also reveal a different perspective of its characters.

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Cast and Crew

Shane Nigam

Actor

Suraj Venjaramoodu

Actor

Shine Tom Chacko

Actor

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