Dhoomam Malayalam Movie
Right from the off, the makers clear the air. Eschewing the much ado about nothing situation, writer-director Pawan Kumar straight away exposes the conflict zone of 'Dhoomam' within a couple of scenes. The suspense milieu is well set once the major characters are found themselves stranded on a rocky terrain. A quagmire of problems is ready to engulf them sans any delay. Kannada filmmaker Pawan Kumar, who makes his Malayalam debut, intersperses the events to unravel the answers to the natural queries demanded by certain scenes. Since conveying a message is also an onus, he strikingly unveils the shenanigans of a leading corporate firm specialised in tobacco-related products and delineates how does the public fall prey to their advertising gimmicks?
The ordeal of Avinash, played by Fahadh Faasil, begins when he and his wife Diya (Aparna Balamurali) are kidnapped one night from Bengaluru city and are left to their fate in a remote area. A perplexed Avinash, who is the marketing head of a cigarette manufacturing company, looks for the abductor in the morning but only finds his wife lie unconscious. He racks his brain to get an idea about why both of them were kidnapped? For what? And by whom?
Diya raises certain questions to Avinash and his revelations lead to the incidents linked to his boss Siddharth (Roshan Mathew) and Siddharth's uncle Praveen (Vineeth). The unscrupulous Minister, played by Joy Mathew and his crafty secretary, essayed by Nandu, and their attempts to partner with Siddharth's firm raises suspicions in Avinash. Riding on its potential suspense factor, 'Dhoomam' tries to clear the fog that is gripped the incidents that led to the predicament being faced by the protagonist. Albeit, it's not a trite endeavour from Pawan, the film's thriller genre is hardly free from predictability. Obviously, the climax is fair enough to resuscitate the fading spirits of the flick with the aid of an emotional connection to the plot.
Fahadh's genuine efforts yield the desired result even in the absence of novelty in the characterisation. The actor's temperament is evident as he effortlessly exudes the frustration and anxiety of a marketing employee in the face of crises that pose threat to his wife's life. Roshan Mathew as a mysterious corporate leader contributes significantly in generating an impact throughout. It's a different outing for Vineeth as a cunning businessman with wilful intentions but the overall impact is only mediocre. Anu Mohan as researcher Sathya is a key character despite the limited room provided to him.
Aparna firms up her presence as Diya with a confident and flexible performance. She grabs the attention as the pivotal character and the focus rightly falls on her when the proceedings reach the culmination portions. The scenes that establish the relation between Avinash and Diya are simply perfunctory and apparently, they lack the vitality to create a convincing feel.
While smoking and its repercussions are comfortably placed, the efforts for consistent and effective narration occur in fits and starts in the film. The strength of the linkage between the intended message and the plot could have been ramped up well to make it a remarkable and more effective movie.
A thriller with a noble intention and purpose, the film succeeds to an extent to set the yardsticks while disseminating a good message through the medium. Still, the incoherent nature of the plot and the rickety narration give a flagging impact. 'Dhoomam,' a maiden production venture of Homebale Films of 'KGF' franchise and 'Kantara' fame in Malayalam, is aptly supported by Poomachandra Tejaswi's music and Preetha Jayaraman's neat visuals. Indeed, the film stands for a cause as well as clearing the smoky environment.
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