Cinema | Aavesham
A visually stunning movie
The Malayalam movie Aavesham is probably among the few visually stunning movies which has a storyline that is overshadowed by the lead actor’s brilliance. I can’t think of a parallel.
Maybe, The Terminal is one such movie.
Summary
The movie is about a bunch of college students who are harassed by their college seniors. They befriend a neurotic don, Rangan, who hails from their state to beat up the seniors who harassed them.
However, they are sucked into an even more dangerous and violent universe of the don. At this point, the students need to choose between loyalty and self-preservation.
The climax is epic, stunning and redeems the hero’s softer side. However, I would not commit the sin of giving away a spoiler.
Fahaad Dazzles
Although dazzling, dangerous and powerful, the don, Rangan (Fahaad Fasil) is also a lonely soul. He seeks out genuine friendship and admiration from the college lads.
He showers them with booze, apartment amenities and even whores. But he demands absolute loyalty from them. This part is unsaid. The lads didn’t know that they were signing a check they could not cash.
Rangan is also sentimental, given the lack of maternal love and approval. He vows not to hurt anyone with his own hands but directs his minions to carry out brutal violence. The hypocrisy of the don is almost comical.
However, the man is a savage when he is pushed to the wall. He is capable of taking on a large gang with a small knife. The choice of weapon makes this short king even more legendary than he seems to be.
The layers of grief, brutality, tenderness and flamboyance make Rangan a powerful, yet soft-hearted gangster. He drives the movie despite the mediocrity of the storyline.
That said, I was quite amused by the use of Kannada words by Fahaad Fasil to manage his Kannada-speaking minions. In addition, I liked the mention of Tumkur, my hometown where the college kids hide briefly to save themselves from the wrath of Rangan.
Other Thoughts
Though I don’t want to intellectualize the movie’s message, I do feel there’s an underlying theme that makes the main character adorable.
He is lonely and deprived of love. He plans to make up for it by being powerful and acquiring a gang of his own. Then he wants to be a giving man so that he can win the legitimate love of humans.
When he realises that he’s lonely even after all his best efforts he is overpowered by grief that shows up as anger, or Aavesham (in Malayalam).
This is the most peculiar form of anger. And it can make a man a savage or a saint. The final choice, however, is left to the individual’s conscience.