Movie Review : Asthram
Akhilan ( Shaam) is a cop in Kodaikanal, who lives with his loving wife Priya ( Nira) ,who is a media person. Akhilan is intrigued by a case which is bizarre. A series of suicides take place wherein young men slit their stomachs.
The one intriguing clue he finds that is uniting all these deaths is that all of them are chess players.
But, to his dismay Akhilan is sent off the case when his college mate Vijay comes to his house and commits suicide , along with his brother, in the same manner. Akhilan is now under suspicion as well.
But despite the setback, Akhilan is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. He begins to understand that these are instigated killings and not suicides. Who is the mysterious killer and what is his modus operandi? Does Akhilan succeed in his quest for the truth?
The film is mounted on a large scale and the visuals of Kodaikanal and the pittoresque misty scenery add to the mystery and set the tone of the film.
The director Arvind Rajagopal has chosen an unusual theme to explore, even though it takes a while to get to it. The suspense is maintained till the end, with enough twists to keep the viewer engaged.
Shaam has done a good job as Akhilan, the cop who uses both brain and brawn to get to his goals. The consummate actor adds value by his presence and its a good vehicle for the performer in him. With his high fitness levels, a few more action sequences of his would have been good.
The supporting cast too is well chosen, especially the child and teen actors who do a solid job of it.
The film keeps away from romance and comedy and sticks to the thriller angle without distracting the viewer.
The music and bgm elevates the film at the right places.
On the flip side, the making seems a tad dated with too many close up shots and long dialogues. Repetitive shots of the killings get too much to watch after a while. It may have been a good idea to include a romantic song with Shaam and the heroine, to keep away from the monotony of showing Shaam serious all through. Crisper editing would be welcome as well.
The climax action sequence is thrilling and well choreographed.
Overall, an engrossing investigative crime thriller with an unusual premise.
Rating 3/5
Cast:
Shaam,Nira, Nizhalgal Ravi and others
Direction: Arvind Rajgopal
Camera : Kalyan Venkararaman
Music : Sundaramoorthy KS
Editor : Bhoopathy
