I like the basic idea behind Perumaan. Resentful IT professional wants to become moneyed enough to be able to eject out of his monotonous life. He's willing to do anything to get out including aiding an affluent business man at transferring black money from abroad. Well, all that happens within a matter of minutes on screen and our hero, Shakthi, becomes rich. Before they part, the businessman tells him to be wary of potential thieves. It hits him like a bombshell. He blows the slightest suspicion out of proportion and into worst case scenarios. The real question is how much of it is really happening? How much of it is his imagination? Is he looking for trouble or is trouble looking for him?
Sounds good, right? But this product is an opportunity squandered. Shakthi's state of mind takes the back seat, just as the events in his life. What Perumaan finally boils down to is a two-hour long audition of debutant actor Arjun for future prospects. The full extent of his acting is displayed here. Soliloquies, monologues, mono acting, histrionics, grim stares, singing and dancing- you have it all. And it's akin to watching a gorilla scream while beating its chest.
About my experience with the film, I couldn't stop myself from dozing off. This is not an exaggerated expression to communicate how bad the film is. I actually kept dozing off. Perumaan is the longest short film I've seen and most evident here is the shoe string budget, followed by the absence of a script. It's certainly not something you want to pay to have to endure.
Critic: Rohit Ramachandran
(1 / 5) : Poor