Kerala

Not as expected

The film, directed by Sibi Malayil, is flashy for the costumes and exotic locations. This much-hyped psycho-suspense thriller, however, does not engross the viewer. The script is by S. Bhasurachandran.

Dhwani (Parvathy) is a jaunty girl who gets into all sorts of trouble. Daughter of Sekharankutty (Saikumar), she is the heir to the Kalarithodi Tharavad. Except for Gurukkal (Ponvannan), Sekharan’s father, no one likes her. Following the death o f her mother, Dhwani has come to stay in the tharavad.

One day, Dhwani slaps her cousin for flirting with the driver of the house. Gurukkal intervenes and throws him out of the house. And he dies under mysterious circumstances. This incident turns Dhwani’s life upside down and she becomes moody, losing her temper at times and behaving in an unusual manner.

It is here that Mithun Madhav (Mohanlal), a multi-faceted personality, comes to the tharavad. He is a businessman, magician and psychiatrist. Though Mithun claims to be on a vacation, he is there at the persuasion of Priyan (Indrajith), an employee in his Mumbai firm. Priyan belongs to the tharavad and is fond of Dhwani.

Gradually, Mithun unravels the reasons for the change in Dhwani’s behaviour. She confides in him. But the family faces more misfortunes. Sekharan dies suddenly. Dhwani loses her mental balance. The police are clueless about the death, except for a ring which they get from the spot where Sekharan died. They point a finger at Dhwani. But the psychiatrist has a different story to tell.

Though the plot is well conceived, the acting skills of Mohanlal have not been fully exploited. It being a heroine-centred film, Parvathy has done little justice to her character. Even actors such as Jagathy Sreekumar, Suraj Venjaramood and Jagadeesh fail to impress. The cast includes Siddique, Shamna and Suresh Krishna.

Rafeeque Ahamed’s lyrics have been scored by Gopi Sundar. The music fails to impress. Sajan Kalathil has wielded the camera.

Tomichan Mulakupadam has produced the film for Mulakupadam Films.

G. Jayakumar

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