Bramayugam movie review: Mammootty in his most sinister role ever brings to life real horror of oppression

Cast: Mammootty, Arjun Ashokan, Sidharth Bharathan

Director: Rahul Sadasivan

Mammootty-starrer Bramayugam directed by Rahul Sadasivan reminded me of a quote by French surrealist poet Louis Aragon. He said, “Light is meaningful only in relation to darkness, and truth presupposes error. It is these mingled opposites which people our life, which make it pungent, intoxicating. We only exist in terms of this conflict, in the zone where black and white clash.” In the film, the play of light and darkness drowns you, and it encompasses all your senses for the time that engage with the film. This black and white palatte of the film is very different from the yesteryear movies. This doesn’t just bleed out the colours in its lead characters’ lives, but it brings a stunning feeling of suffocation to the mix. Everything that one associates with darkness comes and horror takes a front seat in this film with stunning framework by Shehnad Jalal. Colours feel like it would have been a distraction in this film that otherwise aims to take complete control and in parts force and coax audience’s focus.

The choice to go with monochrome palette throughout the film works wonders for Brahmayugam, as it brings to the life the horror aspect of the film. The director of the film has explored this genre through Revathy-starrer Bhoothakaalam where he had underlined the fact that things that you cannot see, but only feel are more horrific than what you see. He continues to favour this in Brahmayugam as well, which in essence is a film that brings together folklore and horror. It is important to address this decision before anything because, on hindsight, now that I am out of the theater and it has been a few hours, I feel that the feel may not have had the same impression were it not black and white.

Coming to the plot of the film, it is in essence about oppression. It is about the horrors what a slave, on in this case an individual from a Dalit class experiences at the hands of individuals belonging to upper caste. So, in a way, it makes sense that the director chose to go with horror to accentuate this setting. The film is set in 17th century and the central characters are a mana (mansion) owner Kodumon Potty (Mammootty), his servant (Siddharth Bharathan) and Thevan, a slave who escapes his fate. I also see the mana in South Malabar is also a important character, considering the film is set within the walls of this enclosed space.

What happens when a mansion that hasn’t welcomed any guests for years has one walk through the door of their own volition? Thevan escapes one kind of enslavement, only to get stuck in other. This is exactly what surprised me about the film. The political layers in it. You see, caste discrimination is a horror, and a reality even today. However, to explore it with the aid of folklore is refreshing. The film centers on the oppression faced by the Panan community, who are forced to entertain the individuals of the dominant caste in the region through their songs. Their art, something that is so close to their heart is the very thing that is used to hurt them and yet, Thevan seems to find solace in it. At least until the near end when his fate becomes unfathomable.

What really drives the film home is the performance by the lead actors. Mammootty is going all out with his out of box choices because this is probably the most sinister, and ferrying character that I have seen him portray. As Kodumon Potty he is not just scary. His character isn’t a single tone. Instead, he begins of as authoritative, moves towards manipulation so seamlessly before he lets out his true nature in a stunning turn of events. There are transformations within the film that needs to be experienced. His servant also has a story of his own and the reveal goes hand in hand with the other two central character’s arc making the film a cohesive experience.

Everything about this film is experiential. Every aspect of the film works towards making this film more of an experience. Starting from the dark insides of the theaters to the sound and music in the film. It is ethereal how the beautifully all aspects of the film come together to achieve this feat. If I had one issue with the film, it is probably the writing that struggles at places in keeping it all together.

Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)

Bramayugam is playing in cinemas near you