Bramayugam Movie Review

In the 19th century, due to the ongoing conflict in the northern Malabar region of Kerala, Devan (Arjun Asokan), a member of the singing community living in the palace, seeks refuge in the forest to ensure his survival. Koduman, an elderly man who resides in the forest with his cook (Siddharth Bharathan), finds comfort in the deteriorated Potri palace (Mammooty). Rahul Sathasivan’s film “Bramayugam” explores the story of Devan’s escape from the enigmatic and mystical palace, which ultimately becomes his prison.

Throughout the film, Mammootty captivates us with his portrayal of Koduman. He breathes life into the character through his distinctive voice, infectious laughter, poised sitting posture, delivery style, and intimidating gaze. There are moments where his voice and even his shadow send shivers down our spines, compensating for his mere presence. Arjun Ashokan’s character, Devan, serves as the conduit for the audience’s experience. Initially unremarkable, he undergoes a transformation, embodying fear, tension, trembling, anger, and excitement. Ashokan flawlessly absorbs the character’s essence, delivering a compelling performance at every turn. While Siddharth Bharathan may not leave a lasting impression in the beginning, he skillfully portrays the character’s evolution during the film’s pivotal phase. Manikandan.R and Amalta Liss, on the other hand, have limited screen time and fail to leave a significant impact.

Shahnad Jalal’s cinematography serves as the foundation of the film, which is entirely shot in black and white and takes place in a solitary, run-down palace. Shahnad’s impeccable framing perfectly complements the black and white lighting, effectively conveying a profound sense of horror and paranoia. The frames themselves have become an additional voice for Mammootty’s character. Christo Xavier’s music accompanies the narrative, with the song ‘Poomani Malika’ being particularly enjoyable. The background music plays a pivotal role in the film, evoking a range of emotions such as mystery, deceit, aggression, and fear through a fusion of folk and Carnatic music. Jyotish Shankar’s art direction skillfully brings to life the dilapidated Kerala palace (kottaram) with subtlety and without any exaggeration. Noteworthy contributions also include Jayadevan Chakkadam’s sound design, as well as the impressive makeup work by Ronex Xavier and George Esso.

Many sub-stories like Mammootty’s back story, Satan story, palace history are interestingly told. But the entire film is told in a linear fashion by a screenplay slightly lacks the innovativeness. If the sub-plots were made bigger and the second half of the screenplay went multi-layered, the writing would have done justice to the technically better film. Since the participation of the audience is not much in this screenplay, the film impresses us only as a mere story.

Despite a few intriguing surprises in the second half, it is disheartening to discover that the main twist of the story is revealed in the first half, which diminishes the level of engagement. The director skillfully explores the themes of power, greed, and the actions it drives individuals to take, using a Kerala folk tale as a chilling backdrop.