Ariyippu - Declaration

ARIYIPPU explored the rifts and difficulties that got created in the form of anger, physical & sort of sexual abuse, shame, mistrust & doubts in a married couples life over a scandal video leak.

It's one of the few and pure slice of life dramas I have ever seen that didn't feel exploitative at all, was very focused on the narrative of it and also didn't have any kind of loud distractions in the form of music, stretching of unwanted sequences or anything else.

The performances felt really raw so kudos to Kunchaks and Divyaprabha for giving a controlled and balanced as well as engaging performances.

The same could be said for the supporting cast too.

The subplots regarding the injustice, murder coverups? And the illegal practices going on in the glove factory were intriguing too.

The climax though felt like lacking in completion and making it open ended didn't feel effective or maybe it was coz I adamantly wanted a close ended climax.

The background scores in this one also has to be Sushin Shyam's tamest scores from the works of his I've seen.

It's a slowburn directed in a style that I have often seen foreign filmmaker's prefer that are popular choices for prestigious critical awards and I mean it in a good way and while I felt it not to be laggy even while being a slowburn I must say that this would not be most people's cup of whatever they'd prefer.

We're clapping for the cast and crew for a splendid job! They achieved so much with so little, well done😃

-Watching Ariyippu's trailer, we thought it was going to be one of those films about society bashing women. But Mahesh Narayanan used a different and better approach through a heavy inclusion of symbolism

-The film was extremely quiet, the passive atmosphere was due to the story taking place during the pandemic lockdown. The serenity was necessary to analyze and reflect on the narrative.

-The handheld camera was very appreciated to demonstrate the feelings of uneasiness, anxiety, and tension hovering over the characters throughout the story

-So many symbols made the screenplay rich and full of layers, however, we're just going to zoom in on the reason why a glove-making business was at the center of the film as opposed to any other.

We usually use gloves to keep hands free of dirt, fingerprint tracks, contamination, etc. Bottom line is to keep ourselves clean and this was the objective of the factory, Hareesh, and Reshmi.

In the end, they all unknowingly adopted the glove mentality for good and bad reasons

-No need to talk about performance when we had pros on set!

-Ariyippu is a hidden treasure that has so much to offer, a good example of how you can achieve a lot with a simple cast, locations, and production.

Interesting, Intense... An Asghar Farhadi feel, little less, maybe....

The film may not be entertaining for everyone. It's simple from the outside, but, has a great impact within. Realistic making adds to the essence. Acting side is worth mentioning, Kunchakko has done a great job, he is choosing films wisely in recent times, excellent job. For Divya Prabha, this film is a great leap in her career, a way to prove and take herself to the next level of her acting career, she did a fair job. Cinematography was also amazing, blending to the film's realistic mood.

There are few negatives to point out, but, as a whole, it's a great movie.

What a fantastic film!!!, A film from the mastercraft man Mahesh Narayanan. Kudos to the whole team for making a brilliant movie within a very small idea during the pandemic Period. Happy to see more films from the crew.

The main key attraction of the film is the performance of protagonists. The idea was really small but the content that they built up from it was really admirable. The cinematography of the film is also really good, because I was somewhat confused it with the arabic and Spanish film's tone and quality. I want to see more and more films from this crew, as because I have seen all of the movies that the film maker has done previously.

The film was a great one to watch. Mahesh Narayanan as a writer-director crafts a fine film. This is a story and a type of film which we have never seen from Mahesh and isn't something that falls in the usual form of filmmaking from Mahesh. It was quite refreshing to see Mahesh try his hands at an arthouse film. The writing of the film is rock solid. There is a believable plot that takes its time to unfold. Though there isn't any element of thrill or suspense, the way in which the tale progresses builds an intrigue amongst the viewers to know what can happen next. The plot may seem to be slow and dragged out. However, it is necessary to build the tension and the environment for the tale to unfold. Mahesh does a superb job with the writing, by keeping the screenplay as authentic and genuine as possible. He also has put in efforts to make sure that the happenings of the film is believable and adds a local flavour to it, to up the naturality of the film. Mahesh's brilliant writing combined with the spot on execution makes Ariyippu a superbly crafted film. Looking at the acting performances, the film boasts of some stellar performances by the cast. Divya Prabha as Reshmi Hareesh deserves a lot of praise. She is phenomenal in her role and the way she slips into character and portrays it with utmost conviction and precision is highly commendable. Divya has made proper use of the opportunity she has been handed with, and delivers one of the most powerful performances of the year. Kunchacko Boban is absolutely brilliant as Hareesh. This role is perhaps one of his finest performances in recent times and is surely worth a lot of accolades. The remaining supporting cast members too deliver good performances. Looking at the technical side, the cinematography by Sanu John Varghese is great. The shaky camera movements and the steady shots for almost the entire film gives the film a rustic and realistic feel. Editing by Mahesh Narayanan and Rahul Radhakrishnan is crisp and tight, making the film a good one to watch. The background score by Sushin Shyam is pensive and intense, which is unlike most of his work. It was quite a surprise to see such a pensive scoring being orchestrated by Sushin. Special credits has to be given to the production designers, set designers, art department, costume designers and sound designers for their valuable contributions.

As a whole, Ariyippu is a film that is what the general public would call "a typical arthouse film". However, if you watch the film a bit closely, you will realize that this isn't just another arthouse film, but a film that showcases a very relevant topic in the guise of an arthouse film. What makes Ariyippu a film I loved watching is the approach and gamble Mahesh Narayanan took to try his hand at an arthouse film, that pays off, superb making, spectacular acting performances by Divya Prabha and Kunchacko Boban as well as the score by Sushin Shyam. I personally found the film to be something which you all should check out to see a very different Kunchacko Boban and also to realize the filmmaking skills Mahesh Narayanan possesses. The film is slow and would test your patience if you aren't a patient viewer of films or expect a grand climax. This one is surely worth your time. Do check it out!