Solo Movie Review
Written by: Bejoy Nambiar, Malayalam: Dhanya Suresh, Tamil: Karthik R. Iyer
Directed by : Bejoy Nambiar
Producer : Abraham Mathew, Anil Jain, Bejoy Nambiar
Cast : Dulquer Salmaan, Neha Sharma, Sai Dhanshika, Sruthi Hariharan, Arthi Venkatesh
Music : Prashant Pillai
Cinematography : Girish Gangadharan, Madhu Neelakandan, Sejal Shah
Edited: A. Sreekar Prasad
Production company : Getaway Films, Malayalam: Abaam Movies, Tamil: Refex Entertainment
Running Time : 152 mins
When I was walking out of the theatres, I could find a bunch of college going teens, who watched movie along with me saying, “What’s the purpose of this film?” Wait! I was so much bounded to couple of tales (the ones that comes by the second hour involving Shiva and Rudra). Maybe, the final chapter evokes a huge laughter in the theatres for an unconventional twist, somewhere reminiscent of late director K Balachandar movies. But end of the day, PAIN is a PAIN. But someone’s pain and lamentations could turn out to be a humour indeed, which is seen very much by the end. In fact, all the four chapters have a melancholic end that pierces with tragedy in different dimensions. A tint of revenge, relationships and what not, the inevitable separations paint this anthology called ‘Solo’.
Filmmaker Bejoy Nambiar, if he is going to read this entire review, instead of just glimpsing upon the verdict and ratings much alike many might not get what I personally perceived from this film.
But he deserves ‘Best Daring Award’, if any ceremonies are planning to add up to their pre-existing categories in coming years.
His versatility of breakthrough in narrative structures is really appreciable
His versatility of breakthrough in narrative structures is really appreciable. Shaitan, David, Wazir and Solo are the blatant exemplifications. Specifically, David was supposedly a renaissance in screenwriting, which didn’t turn up well. The reason was very well revealed by Bejoy in some of his recent interviews.
So now getting back to the first line of these teens putting forth a question, “What’s the purpose of this film?”
The characterisations of Dulquer signify four avatars of Lord Shiva, four elements of nature.
Bejoy had incessantly kept us enlightened prior to release. The characterisations of Dulquer signify four avatars of Lord Shiva, four elements of nature. But hadn’t this cohort pulling out an unexpected question by the end go through these references. So if I hadn’t gone through Bejoy Nambiar’s enlightening interviews, I could have been one among them joining the league?
Let us not pull out the hypothetical contexts now. But I would even refer this question as a strong element that audiences happened to experience something here into four different worlds, but end of the show didn’t grasp its essence.
In my case, what I personally felt is that all the four tales are really emotional with a mix of lamentations, tragedies and bittersweet memories. Moreover, a person’s grief could be followed by sweetness, revenge, pain and more than all, an unimaginable sorrow that could turn out to be hilarious for people. All these four stories make such an impact.
But by the time, you get settled into a world, you’re commuted to the other one and this keeps happening. Again, it lets me think if this could have prompted those people to question “What’s the purpose of this film?”
Now, I do feel what if Bejoy Nambiar had followed the similar narrative style of ‘David’, where 2-3 parallel tales are alternatively shown with a climax that conjoins them. Here it is not possible though, by placing all the segments on parallel tracks would have given mixed emotions.
By doing so, this question would have been eclipsed and in fact, all the tales would have retained its world in us till end.
So finally, I wind up this review bringing again the context of those people, “What’s the purpose of this film?”But again, if Bejoy Nambiar had attempted to showcase a similar narration, then there would have been a verdict – “Bejoy Nambiar beats the same bush as in narration”. Yes, when comparing on David and Solo, there could be a single factor that might not connect well with people – Tamil version and a contradictory backdrops or locations in few places, but not a big flaw though.
