Tiyaan Malayalam Movie
Jiyen Krishnakumar's Tiyaan is a tale of two halves. It begins confidently with grandiose introductions to the three main characters, Pattabhiraman(Indrajith), Remakanth(Murali Gopy) and Aslan(Prithviraj). As the mystery behind two of these characters unravels, we see a film that goes downhill in its pursuit of connecting the dots.
Gopy's villainous performance is not special per se but comes with admirable zeal. The same cannot be said for the writer/actor's screenplay, which leaves a bitter aftertaste. His fantastic knack for incisive dialogues couples well with the acting chops of the lead actors, including himself. The intellectual in Gopy shows off his insight into religious texts and legends, especially in Hinduism and Islam. However, his script ceases to confront the myriad socio-political themes once the characters are well and truly separated into heroes and villains. Instead, it merely suggests that man should not fall victim to the trickery of 'god-men' and 'god-women'. The film also myopically generalizes the North-Indian culture as prejudiced, which reveals its own bigotry more than anything else.
Krishnakumar and his screenwriter borrow the film's dramatic intensity from mainstream Tamil cinema but reinvent the narrative with mythological and supernatural elements. That said, from something that boldly exposes hypocrisy in the name of religion and demographic, it withers into a hackneyed story of 'good versus evil' in the second half. There is an over-simplification of controversial ideas and servitude to star power which do not bode well for a tiresomely long film as Tiyaan.
On the acting side of things, star siblings Prithviraj and Indrajith Sukumaran are forces to be reckoned with. It is their superbly synchronized collaboration that attaches a visceral timbre to Tiyaan. They play well-characterized roles that share a curious relationship; the film's high-point. The production designer and the costume and make-up team deserve credit for immortalizing these characters as well as lending originality to the North Indian landscape. Satheesh Kurup's cinematography, rich in aerial shots and ruggedness, furthers the beauty of the locations in its own way.
If you are looking for a film that resiliently tackles faith and religion, Tiyaan will not fit the bill. Honestly, its intent is well-meant but a broken and stereotypical one at it. By experimenting with a synthesis of commercial and literary storytelling, Tiyaan falls short on both.
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Kiran Allan