Neelavelicham Malayalam Movie

Feature Film | 2023 | Drama, Horror, Romantic | 2h 12min
Critics:
Audience:
Aashiq Abu's faithful remake of "Bhargavi Nilayam" requires patient viewing and has some flaws. Nevertheless, it is watchable for the filmmaking and mostly excellent acting. To give Aashiq credit where credit is due, his film makes us want to rewatch the 1964 classic and appreciate it a little more.
Apr 21, 2023 By Sreejith Mullappilly

Where To Watch:
Streaming:
   Amazon Prime

Aashiq Abu's "Neelavelicham" is an adaptation of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's short story of the same name and an almost scene-by-scene remake of "Bhargavi Nilayam", which is also based on the story. It has been almost 60 years since the release of A. Vincent's film, which explores the unusual connection between a novelist and a ghost at an abandoned mansion. It is an era of Malayalam cinema that shows intimacy with objects like flowers popping up on screen. So, one instantly wonders what Aashiq will bring to the table for a story as old as time.


For one thing, there is a big change to the central character of the story, a fiction writer who supposedly represents Basheer himself (I will call him Basheer for an easier explanation). In the 1964 film, Madhu plays him as more of a happy-go-lucky person, but over here, Tovino Thomas has a mostly intense role. The intensity is apparent in the way Tovino's character 'talks' to the ghost of Bhargavi, who haunts the mansion. He does not smile the way Madhu does, and he has a sense of loneliness that explains why he feels a connection with the ghost.


However, both Madhu and Tovino's characters are the same in one aspect: the level of empathy they have for a person who does not exist in physical form. Basheer does not believe in the rumors of the villagers about Bhargavi and her cause of death. Instead, he goes in search of the truth behind it so that he can spin a fascinating story around it.


A good part of the first half has standard-issue horror cliches, with Aashiq sometimes trying all kinds of tricks to dial up the scare quotient. In one scene, the eye color of a black cat changes so dramatically that it looks very artificial. But soon the film starts to focus more on the central plot, with a second-half stretch taking us back to the younger days of Bhargavi (Rima Kallingal) and her lover, Sasi Kumar (Roshan Mathew). There is a mystery surrounding the sudden disappearance of the man and the death of the girl, although the villagers believe both to be suicides. The unearthing of the mystery here lacks the organic flow of a true-blue suspense thriller in that a fair chunk of the story in these portions is rushed through. To be fair to Aashiq, this is also a minor flaw in the classic film from A. Vincent, and it is commendable that he is not at all attempting to outdo the original.


Another issue with Neelavelicham is that the romantic relationship at the heart of the story is not communicated well enough to the audience. For instance, it feels really corny when the two lovers exchange their feelings for each other and pleasantries while standing on opposite sides of a fence without seeing each other. This is so 1960s, and it is disappointing that the makers have not found a way to make the scene play out better for the modern audience.


Nevertheless, Neelavelicham is eminently watchable for the standard of filmmaking and mostly excellent acting in it. The blue luminescence that brightens up a room as Tovino walks into it is so striking and enchanting, and the same goes for a sequence where Rima looks skywards. The sudden appearance of a train in the middle of a bedroom sends shivers down our spine, as does a murder sequence.


All the actors put in their best possible efforts to help Aashiq overcome the filmmaking and storytelling challenges. Tovino looks the part, speaks pure Malayalam, and conveys the loneliness of his writer character with ease. Rima is every bit as vintage and radiant as Aashiq wants her to be. The naive and handsome Sasi Kumar is safe in Roshan Mathew's hands. Shine Tom Chacko is riveting in most scenes, even though his interview personality creeps into his acting in some sequences. Even the likes of Rajesh Madhavan and James Elias excel in cameo roles.

Sreejith Mullappilly

   

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