The Arbit Documentation of An Amphibian Hunt: Aavasavyuham

With the plethora of glitzy star-studded award shows prevalent in the Malayalam industry, one can forgive the Kerala State Awards jury for opting to reward smaller independent titles with the "Best Film" award in recent years, despite the presence of several hard-hitting mainstream projects. While 2020's "The Great Indian Kitchen" is the rare exception where an indie film got mainstream recognition and won the Best Film award as well, 2019's winner "Vasanthi" and now, 2021's awardee "Avasa Vyuham" are relatively unheralded, artsy ventures that deserve our attention, despite not getting theatre releases.

The Krishand R. K directorial follows a Rashomon-style narrative where we are taken through the life of a mysterious fisherman "Joy" through the perspective of the various people that knew him. Whether it be his original benefactor "Kochuraman" (MD Rajmohan), his ex-love interest "Lissy" (an excellent Nileen Sandra) or his arch-nemesis "Murali" (a hilarious Sreenath Babu), the accounts are put together with smart intercuts to paint a vivid portrayal of a man everyone agrees was quirky and weird, yet with a magnetic personality and a strange connection with the backwaters and its many creatures.

Rahul Rajagopal, most famous for his appearances in several "Karikku" videos, is captivating as the much-discussed "Joy", using his body language and expressive eyes to portray the complicated character with requisite gravitas and effectiveness. The intrepid filmmaker in Krishand throws convention to the wind, delving deep into multiple social, cultural and environmental issues and weaving them into the storyline at junctures you lease expect these themes to come in. The casting is spot on at every point, with Nikhil Prabhakar as "Plank", Ajayghosh as "Constable Valsan" and Zhins Shan as "Susheelan Vava" putting in impressive shifts alongside the primary characters mentioned earlier.

"Avasa Vyuham" is a strikingly original commentary on environmental conservation and the need for maintaining bio-diversity and an ecological balance, told with a unique narrative style that may not be immersive at all times, but is definitely contemplative and thought-provoking. Whether it deserved the Kerala State Award for Best Film ahead of 2021's mainstream masterpieces like "Joji", "Bhoothakaalam" and "Nayattu" however, is very arguable. Nevertheless, a recommended watch!

Version 2

With the plethora of glitzy star-studded award shows prevalent in the Malayalam industry, one can forgive the Kerala State Awards jury for opting to reward smaller independent titles with the "Best Film" award in recent years, despite the presence of several hard-hitting mainstream projects. While 2020's "The Great Indian Kitchen" is the rare exception where an indie film got mainstream recognition and won the Best Film award as well, 2019's winner "Vasanthi" and now, 2021's awardee "Avasa Vyuham" are relatively unheralded, artsy ventures that deserve our attention, despite not getting theatre releases.

The Krishand R. K directorial follows a Rashomon-style narrative where we are taken through the life of a mysterious fisherman "Joy" through the perspective of the various people that knew him. Whether it be his original benefactor "Kochuraman" (MD Rajmohan), his ex-love interest "Lissy" (an excellent Nileen Sandra) or his arch-nemesis "Murali" (a hilarious Sreenath Babu), the accounts are put together with smart intercuts to paint a vivid portrayal of a man everyone agrees was quirky and weird, yet with a magnetic personality and a strange connection with the backwaters and its many creatures.

Rahul Rajagopal, most famous for his appearances in several "Karikku" videos, is captivating as the much-discussed "Joy", using his body language and expressive eyes to portray the complicated character with requisite gravitas and effectiveness. The intrepid filmmaker in Krishand throws convention to the wind, delving deep into multiple social, cultural and environmental issues and weaving them into the storyline at junctures you lease expect these themes to come in. The casting is spot on at every point, with Nikhil Prabhakar as "Plank", Ajayghosh as "Constable Valsan" and Zhins Shan as "Susheelan Vava" putting in impressive shifts alongside the primary characters mentioned earlier.

"Avasa Vyuham" is a strikingly original commentary on environmental conservation and the need for maintaining bio-diversity and an ecological balance, told with a unique narrative style that may not be immersive at all times, but is definitely contemplative and thought-provoking. Whether it deserved the Kerala State Award for Best Film ahead of 2021's mainstream masterpieces like "Joji", "Bhoothakaalam" and "Nayattu" however, is very arguable. Nevertheless, a recommended watch!

This was...something unlike stuff I've watched from Malayalam cinema. I'd say it's unlike any other Indian movie, but if it's unlike anything else in Mollywood, it's surely the case with the rest of Indian cinema.

This is a mockumentary style, under-2-hour, film about...the (human) nature, but it's also a fantasy, and the society, and the ecosystem, and it's a revenge story...I don't know...anything more to help explain the plot will potentially spoil it for you. It's several genres into one, and while films that try to do a lot usually fall apart real fast, this one didn't and for that, it's been winning all sorts of awards for Best Film/Screenplay/Director this year, and it's counting.

It's one thing to have a unique way to tell a story but it's a whole new ballgame to make this into a movie bc not everybody may get it...? This, dunno....you've got to watch it to get what I mean. You're either gonna find the storytelling in this one to be fascinating or as a film, this might go way over your head. There's only one way to find out. If you've seen it, I'd love to know your thoughts.

I can't recall a Malayalam movie that successfully used a mockumentary structure before. Even though it is also a sci-fi and a social satire, it is never chained to any of these genres. Usually, when Malayalam movies take such an experimental route for the industry, it is expected to be slow artsy movie, here this is as commercial as such a film can get. It is an entertainer from the very first minute. It shows the limitation of its budget in certain aspects of filmmaking which is the only reason I couldn't give it another half star. The same limitation in casting is the only reason I can think of why the makers decided to do an OTT release without so much of marketing. This would've been a great theater experience.

Avasavuham is the first film I've seen this year, and I'm very satisfied with it because, this film was shortlisted for this year's IFFK International Competition and I saw it at a preview show for the cast and crew the other day. It's a second contribution of Krishand to the Malayalam film industry, unlike his previous film it has huge amount of Commercial dimensions.

The film tells the story of a young man named Joy and those who live around him, those who love him, some who use him for their interests, and some who hate him. In addition, the nature in which Joy lives is an important character in this film. It tells the story of a habitat that includes nature, man, religion, and science.

The main doubt I had in this movie was which genre it should be included in,Avasavuham starts as a realistic drama movie, It later became a political satire on the powerful politics of nature, Eventually they come to a Sci Fi element. Similarly, Nowadays, the media, religion, politics, science, and man all have a cohesive system. The director has integrated this film in such a way that it connects at the end and is a topic that we have not seen for a long time but needs to be discussed a lot , I must say that the Director was completely successful in it. With his very talented cast and crew, Cinematography and the art department was top-notch, so as the actors Rahul Rajgopal, Zhinz Shan, Nileen Sandra, Geethi Sangeetha and Sreenath Babu played their roles beautifully To make this movie not an ordinary one. Avasavuham is the film that progress through different modes of story telling and Majical realism , This film can be said to have changed the face of independent films and bring of two Awards in Iffk 2022. Avasavuham is the 'Best Film' award-winner at the Kerala State Awards 2022.

This movie is a real gem. Cinematic experimentation at its best. On the lines of Super Deluxe, Jallikattu, Churuli. Pictured with great skill.

+ves: Director Krishand and everybody -ves: Not everybody's cup of tea.