Adbhutham Malayalam Movie
Adbhutham, the fourth in the ‘navarasa’ series by director Jayaraj (the earlier ones being Karunam, Shantham and Beebhalsa), is a bold attempt - theme-wise and budget-wise. But whether it goes down as a really great film remains to be seen.
Adbhutham deals with the theme of euthanasia or mercy-killing. Chandrashekhara Warrier, a playwright settled in the U.S, is on a life support system, constantly suffering from excruciating pain. With the help of his wife Maria and advocate Gary Pearlman, he secures court permission to end his life. After the court verdict the whole press is there outside his hospital room, to make it to the headlines. At Warrier’s request his father, mother and a friend Vasu have been brought al the way from Kerala so that he could meet them one last time. (Warrier had left home twenty years back and since then hadn’t seen his parents or anyone else from there).
Also present in the hospital are his wife Maria, young daughter Carolina and his friend Angela. The doctor attending on him, Dr.Smith is personally and ethically opposed to the idea of terminating Warrier’s life, but he is the one who is destined to carry out that job, in just 70 minutes. And during these seventy minutes Warrier’s near and dear ones come to his room, one by one. Those who visit him also include an actor who has been playing the clown in his plays, and he comes attired in a clown’s costume. There’s also an American Indian coming in. What happens during these 70 minutes forms the plot of Adbhutham.
Suresh Gopi is good as Warrier. KPAC Lalitha is of course a good actress, but she is definitely not the right choice to do the role of Warrier’s mother. Jayaraj had made the right choice when he cast KPAC Lalitha as the mother in his Shantham, but the mother in Adbhutham is very different and requires much subtler acting, which has not been delivered by the talented actress. Nedumbram Gopi as Warrier’s father has done his job well. Mamta Mohandas looks uncomfortable with her part as Maria. Lawrence Tabali as Gary Pearlman is good. Kavalam Sreekumar however, in his role as Vasu proves he is not a good actor at all.
The film stands out on the merit of the theme, but the handling of the subject could have been done better. The director and the scenarist could have attempted to use silence and silent emoting to express the theme in a better way. In many places the film ceases to be cinematic and tends to be more like a drama. The technique of using the clown and the American Indian was a clever device, but it isn’t as effective as it should have been.
There are flaws in the directorial department as well as in the script, and it shows in the totality of the film. But still, it has to be mentioned that Adbhutham is a bold attempt and a much better offering than the stuff that we usually get to see in the name of cinema. Jayaraj and his team have to be appreciated for having come up with this bold venture, one that makes a very strong statement too. But still, the highly talented director could have made a better job of it.
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