Film Review: Asokavanam

MURDER MYSTERIES in Tamil are rare. But one man who has relied on whodunits for themes is producer Thakkali C. Srinivasan.

Now, there are three ways of presenting a film of this kind. One is to reveal the killer and go about explaining how he did it. The second way is to show how the murder is committed and then through investigation zero in on the culprit. In the third the motive and the crime are shown and the killer exposes himself.

In Houseful Pictures' ``Asokavanam'', director Thakkali Srinivasan has blended all the three patterns. The script is good in the first half but sags in the second.

The story is about a family which is harassed by a mysterious person. Dr. Mohan (Riyas Khan) lives with his wife Uma (Rajashri) and their two children Priya (Baby Jennifer) and Rahul (master Mahendran). Bizarre things happen and Dr. Mohan, hit by a car, is hurt and goes into a coma. The children are abducted. And the hapless mother is taken to a place where she finds the children. Here she is in for a rude shock. The kidnapper believes that he is Uma's husband and tries to convince her that some one else is living his life.

Inspector Selvam (Livingston) with the help of Col. Sadasivam, Dr. Mohan's father, unravels the mystery. Here is where the narration falters. The abduction drama also ends without much thrill. The director has not done much to sustain the viewers' interest or to keep them guessing.

The film rests on the shoulder of Sriman who does a good job. Riyas Khan is in the intensive care unit of the hospital for most part of the film. But in the few scenes he appears, he is convincing. Rajashri as his wife is adequate. Both Jennifer and Mahendran have performed well. Mohan Ram as Col. Sadasivam fits the bill. Livingston does not have much scope as Inspector Selvam.

K. C. Diwakar's camera work is pleasant throughout the film. Balabarathi's music certainly enhances the film. Thakkali Srinivasan is in charge of the story, screenplay, dialogue and direction of the film and produced by Kabilon, Kannan Parameswaran and Ambha Parameswaran.

S. R. ASHOK KUMAR

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