Bramayugam movie review: Does Mammootty's black and white experiment have the magic to extend his winning run? You'd be surprised

3.5/5

Bramayugam story: Thevan, a folk singer who is on the run, finds shelter in a mysterious mana headed by Kodumon Potti . While the veteran welcomes him as guest, Thevan soon finds out that all is not what it seems in the house, whose only other inhabitant is a caretaker who warns him of Potti’s deceptions. Can Thevan escape from his captor or will he accept his cruel fate?

Bramayugam review: It’s almost amazing that director Rahul Sadasivan, who had previously helmed the arresting Bhoothakaalam , believed that a black-and-white film in today's age would captivate the audience, purely with its engrossing storytelling and riveting performances. Such confidence in a film’s content often results in negating any hurdles that would accompany an experimental film in the minds of the viewers – even when it tries to delve deep into a pertinent subject. Mammootty's Bramayugam proves exactly that.

In a nutshell, the film, set in the 17th century in South Kerala when ghouls, demons and dark magic held sway, revolves around a young folk singer who finds shelter in a dilapidated mana – only to realise that he has ended up somewhere more threatening than what he was trying to flee. After unwillingly betting his life in a game of dice, his attempts to escape the ancestral Brahmin house form the plot.

Also read: Arjun Ashokan: How Mammukka conceived and delivered certain scenes in Bramayugam left me speechless | Exclusive 

But Bramayugam is more than just a survival thriller, because through its protagonist’s attempts to flee, it also explores the politics of power; not just its imminent corruption but its extent as well. Through the characters of two lower-caste members, who are trapped in the house, which is full of secrets, mysteries and a tyrant, Rahul tries to explain why sometimes seeking too much power can only result in decay of the mind and morality – even if it starts out as a noble cause.

If you keep aside the tense atmosphere, which is prevalent throughout the film, and limited visual gimmicks of a black-and-white film that give the audience the freedom to imagine something even worse, the movie’s structure and story-telling keeps the viewers on their toes for most parts of it.

Though the film is a period supernatural drama, it could have so easily become a time-loop sci-fi film steeped in Kerala’s history. And yet Rahul never quite uses ‘time’ in Bramayugam in the conventional sense of a time-loop film. The narration is linear, but through its characters of Thevan and the caretaker, the audience get a sense that they are not just stuck in this space, but also the time. If the dialogues of Sidharth Bharathan and Mammootty’s characters don’t signify it, the grey in Arjun Ashokan’s beard does – as the film progresses.

The movie’s Achilles Heel is its second half, after the mysteries are cleared and the path is set. Here the filmmaker has to rely on constructs of space, the demon’s mind games and inherent nature of humans – all of which somehow takes away the edge the film had in its first half. There’s also a reversal in roles in the second half of the film that once again doesn’t quite hit the mark the makers would have liked to. That said, some scenes, especially those about the mana’s past and its inhabitants, make this phase interesting.

Casting Mammootty in the role of Kodumon Potti was a masterstroke; not because of his proven brilliance in pulling off even the toughest of roles, but due to his current run of diverse characters that have enabled the audience to truly enjoy what he can offer. This layer lets the audience appreciate Potti’s fiendish nature. He doesn’t have to resort to diabolical laughs (except in the end), but his monstrosity radiates throughout. This gets a literal unravel in the end, making it even more appalling.

Arjun and Sidharth, who have roles that are of equal importance to Mammootty’s, rise up in the movie, showing a side that has rarely been explored in the previous films. Arjun is almost a reflection of people, who are oblivious to the manipulation of those in power until it begins to threaten them. How ignorance becomes gratitude and then transforms to fear and leads to distrust – all comes through his character’s arc. The mystery in Sidharth’s character also has a rewarding payoff.

Also read: Bramayugam also deals with a certain kind of politics: Sidharth Bharathan | Exclusive 

Shehnad Jalal’s cinematography deserves a special mention along with Jyotish Sankar’s production design. TD Ramakrishnan’s dialogues also doesn’t feel like it’s toned down in any way to ensure that the contemporary audience relate to it, which has been the case for several recent period films in Malayalam. Just minutes into the black-and-white Bramayugam, you are transported into a thick jungle and a decaying mana, where you care little about the absence of colours and let the storytelling add the layers to this movie. That alone should make this Mammootty-starrer a definite watch in theatres.

Bramayugam verdict: Mammootty’s Bramayugam benefits richly from its engaging screenplay, cinematography and performances, which makes the viewer forget that it’s a black-and-white film and lets you enjoy the magic of cinema.

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