Naradan

Time pass movie but not upto the Aashiq Abu benchmark.

It is a linear narrative with no twists and turns : story revolves around the usual media affairs seen in other movies. Thanks.

One time watchable movie, not so good but tovino was good . Everyone performed well except Anna she doesn't match up with the character as it is a lawyer and she look like a school student. Not good at all.

This movie aptly shows how news media and journalism works currently . In the ego and competition battle between channels, somewhere integrity of true news is missing in most cases. Worth a watch.

Naradan (2022) : Movie Review -

The history of films about journalism and the media isn't as impressive as one might expect. Sidney Lumet presented a sensational story with "Network" (1976) (not my personal favorite), which showed the ugliest side of journalism. Then came another sensational film, "All The President's Men" in the same year (this is my personal favorite), starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford (two of the best Hollywood actors of that time), which explored the super honest side of journalism. After that, some filmmakers tried to make something good but failed until we saw the Oscar-winning classic "Spotlight" (2015). Indian cinema has been missing such stuff, except for a few female-centric films made on journalism and media work, but now I can say we have Aashiq Abu's "Naradan" to satisfy some hunger. It's been more than a decade now that the Malayalam industry has been dominating the rich content field in Indian Cinema. The last two-three years have just been way beyond expectations. Simply unmatchable. They have come up with another fantastic film, and this time with a concept that hasn't been elaborated upon in brutal manners. Journalism is one of the most vital limbs of society's tree, and that's why our Constitution has given them some specific rights. But what if some people misuse it? The public believes the media, whatever they show on screen and whatever they say on screen, but what if it's not true? Wouldn't it destroy one of the biggest support systems in our lives? Well, Naradan has all the answers for you.

Half of Naradan is inspired by true events that can't be named here, while the other half is fictionalised. Chandraprakash, a senior journalist for news in Malayalam, is a talk show host and a news anchor with a huge audience appeal. He is the face of the channel but has now lost his moral values under the pressure of his editors and boss. He quits the job and starts a new channel of his own, financed by others, and makes it big in no time. Well, he has to answer some people for his wrongdoings, and how some ordinary people expose him is all about the second half of Naradan. It's a long film, about 150 minutes, but I think it's very common in Malayalam cinema. However, the screenplay is gripping, so it never looks boring or monotonous at all. Unni R's script does remind you of several incidents that happened in the past couple of years. You've seen that kind of reporting on channels, and you'll find that connection as well as similarities quickly. Despite the long narrative, Naradan keeps you on the edge of your seat with all those media-made cliches. It takes you through newsrooms, behind-the-story facts, office-way politics, the human race, TRP calculations, string operations, and finally to the courtroom. You don't regret a single moment throughout the film.

Talking about performances, Tovino Thomas is the leading force here. This guy just had a stupendous "Minnal Murali" a couple of months back, and before we could get over the fever of the superhero he portrayed, he hit another hammer on your head. "Wake up man, this is Tovino Thomas time. He is killing it there." His looks and personality will remind you of a popular news reporter/anchor, and even though I can't disclose his name, you'll understand it naturally. As a whole, it's back-to-back phenomenal results for him. Anna Ben has been impressive since her debut in 'Kumbalangi Nights', and with 'Helen', she showed the next level of her acting skills. In Naradan too, she is damn impressive. But the only problem is her screen time, which I personally think should have been longer. The supporting cast is just great. Sharafudheen, Joy Mathew, Vijayaraghavan, Balachandran Chullikkad, Raghunath Paleri, Jayaraj Warrier, Dileesh Nair, Rajesh Madjavan, Rafi and Kuchan have all done a fine job there.

The technical side of the film is uplifted by the chilling background score. Jaffer Zadique's cinematography doesn't have anything new to offer, maybe because we have seen all those frames on TV, or rather, we see them daily, so it doesn't evoke any kind of excitement. However, other scenes are beautifully shot, especially those top views. Aashiq Abu's direction makes this one look more real than it could ever have looked. He had a nice script in hand, yet he put his own convictions into the story while presenting it on screen. Despite the dramatic climax, he makes you believe those hard-hitting speeches, and you feel like you are in the courtroom all by yourself. Using human conscience to prove the law & justice is one of the most unique tricks played recently, and the entire credit goes to Aashiq Abu. Naradan doesn't just expose the insights of the media world but also teaches you, as a viewer, what to believe and what to not. The irony becomes even more difficult for us because, being a part of the media fraternity, we have to review the film. Yes, we have to accept these facts and live with them until our conscience awakens and makes us realise things like never before. In a nutshell, Naradan is a film that is brutally honest in its main context; despite exposing one of the most important fields of mainstream entertainment, it leaves you with a strong message about dishonest journalism and a powerful human conscience as an honest citizen of the nation.

RATING - 6.5/10*

The movie discuss about the yellow journalism which exaggerates the half truth news or tends to make their own one just to get the rating

Tovino's yet another brilliant acting Its sucha bold move by him to choose this dark character

Anna ben performance was inversely proportional to her screen time

The story is very socially releavant The movie contains a great combination of visuals and background music The team really gave a great shot

Great work!