Virus

Nipah is a horrible thing, it kills 70% of infected yet sometimes it shows no symptoms, a fearsome combination. This film is an investigative drama based on real events from 2018 in Kerala, where this bat virus started to infect and spread in the human population. I believe this is the first Indian film I've seen in decades and I was pleasantly surprised. The actors are doing a good job, the story is scientifically interesting. However, I have to say that most of the characters were not fleshed out well, making it difficult to remember who is who and what is their role in the story.

One of the reasons for tension is the meddling of the Ministry of Defence who wants at all costs to portray the outbreak as a terrorist attack. Medics and investigators must hurry not only to determine the course of the outbreak and identify the carriers in time, but also bring evidence that it wasn't a malevolent act so that the investigation remains in the hands of medical personnel. Another is the way scientists and government people need to approach poor and sometimes violent communities of people who do not trust them.

For a non-Indian, their way of shaking the head when they want to make a point seems a bit silly and it takes out some of the tension in a story that should be by all accounts terrifying. Also funny to hear them go into English, then back again to Malayalam in the same sentence, like it's the most normal thing in the world. And that while discussing between ministry people.

All in all a nice movie, feeling modern, showing both an interesting outbreak story and providing glimpses into the Indian culture.

This is one of the best (medical) thrillers I have seen and also a very realistic portrayal of the characters from the actual virus outbreak scenario based on my reading of news reports ( I had closely followed the outbreak when it happened). The makers of this movie has done a great research before creating this movie and a respect them for that. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the movie and I will recommend this to anyone who wants to watch a good medical thriller. (One thing I felt that could have been avoided were somewhat gross scenes like vomiting. But then, maybe in a medical thriller - such things are to be expected. )

I know that title may seem a little presumptuous, since a movie about the Kerala Floods is in works. But till then, the closest we have to the HBO Masterpiece is Virus. Whatever Chernobyl did to entice the audience, the same has been done in Virus. But less effectively. Whatever Chernobyl did to stay true to the story, Virus had done more. In terms of a disaster movie, Virus wouldn't be your cup of coffee. But for a survival one, it can hold and twist your nerves till the curtains draw.

It just seems that even with it's flaws, Virus could very well be a film that can demand an international audience and not many Indian films can say that with confidence. The Cast was a little too crowded but eventually everybody got their part. Soubin nailed the desperate patient role while Bhasi ( who got the most on screen time) gave a very nuanced performance that one wouldn't expect normally. Parvathy, Rima, Revathy all gave performances that was satisfactory, albiet a little too dramatic.

Sushin Shyam's haunting Soundtrack wholeheartedly deserves a special mention. If there is one thing i wouldn't have changed one bit, it's the soundtrack. And he delivered it without giving any break to the audience.

Aashiq Abu has been having a fantastic plethora of films. And it is no secret that Virus could very well be the next golden crest in his filmography. Short of a few crucial scenes, Virus could very well have been judged as a 'movie that was promising' but Aashiq has done a terrific job in crafting a movie that would've been pretty hard to make.

Real Life Events are always hard to adapt on screen, especially if it is a one that isn't as global as this. So the filmmaker's priority will be to convey the seriousness and soul in the opening scenes itself. And I'm sure the opening scenes of Virus could very well be one of the rarest, yet one of the most crucial openings in movie history.

VIRUS is an engaging experience, with its non-linear story telling, energetic sound tracks, vivid visuals and most importantly, a golden bunch of cast has made it a great account of the incident that invoked fear in Malabar.

The film throws light at each and every individuals who has played a part in controlling Nipah Virus transmission, and how we were able to survive by working together.

Great Achievement.

Thanks to Aashiq Abu and Team.

The great survival thriller, a must watchable motivational movie. The best story and the direction, all the cast teams are acted well. All the very best team #Virus