Varathan

This makes you see how hypocritically minded our society is. You might think like this is just a movie, but the truth is not far away. The reality is, regardless of the literacy and our hyped moral status, the majority of the people in our society are actually narrow minded ...and cannot accept any world other than theirs... This is in a way another angle of what happened to Madhu, the adhivasi who got killed coz he was suspected of thievery.

Although this movie was not much fun/enjoyable, I hope it helps people to understand the reality.

When this film is reviewed, there are certain mandatory guidelines that should be followed before breaking down the pros and cons of the movie. The first one is that it is a freaking Amal Neerad movie. Forget your fast paced thriller scenes. Forget clichéd wide shots. Forget plot advancements. Forget TIME. Amal demands your patience. His films has an extensive use of slo mo shots. So much that it can actually extend the film by 20-30 minutes. These might be things that you would criticize about his movies. It could also be pros of the movie. But either way Amal creates every single one of his movies this way and Varathan is no different. It steers clear of some of Amal's stereotypical themes. It's actually a step high of CIA and a step down from Iyobinte Pusthakam.

Varathan on the outside, is a clear cut thriller film. It could be categorized as a drama/action/thriller film. The genres that has undergone mixing are great ones and that is in itself a great pro. Amal Neerad has commanded attention from the very first shot. Something many directors find it hard. Varathan succeeds on so many levels. It's perhaps a unique find in malayalam mainstream cinema. It's a breath of fresh air. The plot is lazy. That's usually the case for an Amal Neerad film. Style over substance. Varathan is that with the exception of the first hour and a half. The first half is so damn thrilling that you would wonder whether it's a Amal movie or not. The second half's 30 minutes into the finish prove to us that it is indeed an Amal Neerad film. The performances were pretty good. All of them. Some tonal inconsistencies in the first half. Incorporating songs just for the sake of it and some glaring holes about the philosophy of violence in this film. But well, it's an Amal Neerad Movie.

Fahadh, Aiswarya and probably every one of the supporting cast gave a splendid, convincing performance. The only thing that i had a clear cut problem was the action scenes. I completely understand Amal's style. But the fight scenes could have been a little bit better. A LOT better, actually.

Varathan is an adaptation of the 1971 film Straw Dogs. In terms of similarity in making, both of them are vastly different. But the ideas, the themes that arise are pretty much the same. A great adaptation in short.

Varathan is a treat for all of those who adore film in it's raw form. Amal Neerad makes sure that you're hooked and if you ain't he's got a big title card at the end that says 'AN AMAL NEERAD FILM'. I'm sure everybody will be hooked to that.

Varathan is a thriller-action drama movie directed by Amal Neerad starring Fahadh Faasil, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sharafudheen, Dileesh Pothan and various other talented faces and it tells the story of Abin and Priya, a couple settled in Dubai who after going through some hurdles in their personal and professional lives decides to move to Priya's father's estate back in Kerala. But things are not so friendly over there and the couple is faced with men who crave for a woman's body and a society of people who mock at a man and woman together. Varathan is truly an entertaining movie, but it has it share of problems. However let us start with the good stuff first. Firstly, the cinematography is jaw-dropping. Littil Swayamp has done it once in Parava and has done it again in Varathan and he is proving he is one of the most talented people in the industry. The camera shots and setting are presented beautifully and there is some amazing stuff to be seen towards the end of the movie. Secondly, the acting. Fahadh Faasil knocks it out of the park once again as Abin, which we should be expecting at this point. He is one of the best in the malayalam industry. This is not in anyway the maximum of his potential as his character is one which does not have a lot of depth but its fine. Aishwarya Lekshmi gives out a genuinely good performance. Her character could have been annoying but she handles it with grace. Dileesh Pothan is fine as his character however he does not have much to do. The absolutely amazing performances of the movie belong to Sharafudeen and Vijilesh. They were fricking amazing, menacing, ruthless and genuinely annoying. The background score and action scenes are very well done and put out a good show. The bad parts of the movie are prominent. The movie falls into cliche territory, with a lot of the plot being predictable. You can see stuff happening miles before they actually happen and this is bad for any movie. This predictability makes the majority of the movie difficult to get through and thus the movie lags a lot. The plot is stretched out for so long. The director is intending to build the characters and the plot, however personally I feel as if these characters does not have much to be built about as they are caricatures of what they portray. Also a minor nitpick I have with this movie is that the songs does not really match the tone of the movie. Some of the songs break up that tone of the movie with booming EDM music which I thought were unnecessary. However, I must mention the final 15-20 minutes of the film which will shake up the theatre. The action sequences are so goddamn good! All in all, Varathan is an enjoyable thriller-action flick with some fine acting, good bgm, incredible cinematography and action sequences that will stick on your mind long after the credits roll.

A movie everyone waited for a long time. ABI, the character portrayed by Fahad is something everyone wish to be. Atleast Once in life YOU would've experienced what the movie showcases. He did what everyone wants to DO when PRIVACY of his life gets threatened. Priya, played by Aishwarya is amazing at the moments when it needed in building the emotions. . . Amal Neerad has proven that he is a DIRECTOR whom can make movies relevant to the current perceptions (never ending) of our society. (GOOD JOB) . Script of the movie is a QUESTIONING to our HYPOCRYTIC society who surveils on everything we DO. . Littil swayamp being behind the lens has once again proven that he is amazing. When it comes to those thrilling last sequences, without brilliant cinematographer movie would've gone to zero. (Great work) . . Worth watching if you love Thrillers.

Just one word - Brilliant. Varathan is a well directed absolute drama_thriller from Amal Neerad. Everything about the movie is good, right from casting, cinematography, music to the surprise element in store. Buy a ticket for this movie without a doubt in mind. You will enjoy it. My rating - 10/10

P.S- Just can't get enough of Fahad Faasil in Amal Neerad movies.