Tiyaan

Apart from producing and celebrating gems like Maheshinte Prathikaram, Thondimuthalum Driksaakshiyum, Premam, Bangalore days, Drishyam and so on, we Malayalis have this rare inclination towards celebrating some stinking pretentious pile of glob as well. The IMDb ratings and general perception of public towards 'Tiyaan' reinforces that very fact.

Confused, overblown and unintentionally funny,'Tiyaan' is the worst film I have come across from Kerala in this decade. The very fact that a so called sensible star like Prithviraj agreed to be a part of this ridiculous film made me question the star's sensibility. Other brilliant actors like Indrajith and Suraaj are wasted completely, while actor/writer Murali Gopi hams at every chance he gets.

On the technical front, the cinematography might appeal to many, with its long, landscape shots and brown texture. The editing by Manoj does the basic job of cutting from one self serious shot to another. Gopi Sundar does a great job in tickling our funny bones with his loud and excruciating background score. I especially found it funny when he keeps repeating his 'Asmi..'score every time there is a shot of Prithviraj on top of the mountains and rocks while Indrajith moves forward the story. It was such a lazy tool to communicate the star's presence in the film even though unnecessary.

I pity everyone involved in this film, but the people I pity the most are the ones celebrating this film.

Tiyaan' is a film that demands a totally different perspective while watching. The story and the subtle details provided on non-dualism and non-dualistic philosophy throughout were something not for the regular moviegoers. It requires a further and sometimes even deeper understanding of 'monism' and monistic principles. And this was the fundamental reason, why the movie deploys characters and instances that en-route from a dualistic standpoint towards a monistic juncture.

Hence, judging it by the terms which were widely used in the dialogues, and linking those terms with the 'Hindutva ideology' would be totally unfruitful and misinterpreting, because what the movie tried to tell was much more grandiose than a mere religious belief system.

There were instances, which I need to admit that the film failed and even fell flat on its face. The half-baked characters, commercialization of the visuals for the mass audience and even the execution in certain parts were totally disappointing. Apart from it, the movie is nothing less than a gem that came out this year.

It is not a movie that conveys a message to the human society, rather one of its kind that gives it to the human mind and soul.

When a film written by Murali Gopy is released we know it won't be similar to his earlier movies. Tiyaan proves that. It combines mythology, mysticism and contemporary reality to comment on the insider-vs-outsider, Hindus-vs-minorities battles tearing into India's national fabric. Totally a different viewing experience.

Prithviraj is well-known for choosing quality scripts and his joining hands with acclaimed screenwriter-actor Murali Gopy was enough and more for generating huge pre-release buzz and as such Tiyaan was among the well-anticipated movies to come out from Mollywood this calendar year.Could the movie live up to all the mammoth expectations surrounding it?I would say 'No'.So,is the movie a bad one? Certainly 'No'!

A decent flick overall,Tiyaan is a satisfactory mix of drama,politics,realism and mysticism,but lacks depth and soundness to call it a dedicated effort in a whole.The screenplay by Murali Gopy intelligently intertwines spiritualism with political scenario of the time being,but never tries hard to render the plot conclusive,especially towards the second hour where it turns just another mediocre cat and mouse chase between the good and the evil.

Jeeyen Krishnakumar's narration was pretty ordinary and had notable flaws that became more noticeable with the onset of the second half.Evidently the first half of Tiyaan was more entertaining and well-presented on comparison with the strictly average second half.It should be admitted that the movie would have reached another level had the narrative been foolproof and the screenplay been penned with a little more care and perfection.

Both Indrajith and Prithviraj Sukumaran were equally good in their respective roles and it was a treat to watch the actors mouthing the powerful and hard hitting dialogs written by Murali Gopy.MuraliGopy's act as demi-god Mahakshay Bhagwan was good even though his expressions was monotonous for the major part of the narration. ll Overall,Tiyaan is worth a watch for the brilliant lead performances,socially relevant plot and the noteworthy message that movie puts forward.Watch out for the sequences that enlight upon the meaning of 'Sanathana Dharma' and 'Tathwamasi' that's sure to evoke goosebumps for the cinema-lover inside you ! :-)

The grandeur of Tiyaan is enough to attract you into its world of magical realism and religious madness but blame the tepid screenplay the journey becomes long-winded and repetitive. Prithviraj Sukumaran is a Muslim demi-god of sorts who is out here to bring about communal peace by helping Indrajith Sukumaran's Brahmin character keep his honor. Murali Gopy is the prime villain of the world in the disguise of a sick Hindu godman remind you of the news headline you read today. Religious extremism has been sampled before in countless films, but not as intricately as in Jiyen Krishnakumar's debut feature that has more to do with the current scenario and state of religions and quasi-religions in the world and their conjunction that often has dire consequences. Running at more than 160 minutes, the film hopes to convey few messages about blind piety and how it is affecting the brotherhood but ends up dissolving in its own vile complexity. What starts as a bearable drama with potential to raise questions turns into a mess that has multiple interpretations, none of which make sense owing to the lack of clarity in idea. Tiyaan is, thus, an ambitious play about the effects of theology in a world filled with blind faith and power abuse, and if you are hoping to enjoy it, take packets of patience as offerings. TN.