Bhoologam Tamil Movie
Basking in the ultimate glory of Thani Oruvan, Jayam Ravi comes up with Bhooloham, which has been under the wraps for a long time. Tamil filmmakers haven't shown great interest in sports-based films but the tide is gradually turning in sports aficionados' favor.
Bhooloham opens with an interesting sequence where the filmmaker traces the history of boxing in North Madras, which is culturally rooted with its distinctive values and traditions that are quite different from the affluent part of the city. He gets this part beautifully with subtle shots showcasing the city's passion for boxing.
We are introduced to Bhooloham (played by Jayam Ravi), a well-built, beefed up boxer, who is part of one of the two rival groups in the locality. Ravi's arduous effort to play the role of a boxer is conspicuous and his hefty body makes him a perfect choice for the lead character. For once, we have a 'believable' lead hero who is quite equipped to deliver punches to the villain, played by the middling wrestler-turned-actor Nathan Jones, an import from Hollywood. Ravi's passion and fury in the boxing ring is achieved through his sturdy body language and idiosyncratic gestures. Simply put, he has definitely had a roller-coaster of a year with Romeo Juliet, Sakalavallavan, Thani Oruvan and now Bhooloham. A competent comeback from the giant hero indeed.
But, the second half is where the film goes astray when the director tries to bring more alarming issues such as commercialization of sports, media-politics nexus, and exploitation of caste war by news channels to the fore with widespread apathy. Prakash Raj as the editor of a news channel delivers a middling performance but manages to pass muster with his inimitable expressions that speak lots.
The film's intentions and ambitions are superbly conveyed through the searing dialogues of director SP Jananathan, mentor of Kalyana Krishnan who has made a fairly good directorial debut. The raw and intensity with which Jayam Ravi's character has been structured and written with depth is absolutely missing in the character arc of the antagonist (Nathan Jones), who needs to bolster the film, especially in commercial potboilers like this one. Even, Trisha's characterization is a letdown. While the director steers clear of needless songs and romance sequences, he has fallen prey to feed what the trade calls 'C' centre audiences with Trisha's flashy assets that are carved with tattoos.
Background score plays a vitally important role in elevating the kinetic energy in a sports film and the adrenaline rush that fight sequences provide us is mostly because of the stirring music that often plays in the background. With Srikanth Deva on board, Bhooloham, unfortunately, loses out on the aforementioned aspects.
Overall, Bhooloham is a middling sports drama that is only watchable in parts and deviates from the core plot and takes a whirlwind of issues to address in a flawed system.
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