From the production house of AP International & Viacom18 Studios, Amazon Prime’s new release titled Bhramam is a thrilling ride towards the expansion of Malayalam-language dramas on OTT. This crime thriller is compelling as well as exciting, and dare I say does absolute justice to the Ayushmann Khurrana and Tabu starter Andhadhun, which it is a remake of. The film is directed by Ravi K Chandran who is well-known for his projects in the Hindi film industry like Dil Chahta Hai and Fanaa apart from his critical projects in the Tamil film industry, so it comes as no surprise that the remake is impartial in portraying the storyline of the original piece of cinema.
Written by Sarath Balan, the film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Unni Mukundan, Mamta Mohandas, Raashi Khanna and several others. The runtime for Bhramam is about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
– Amazon Prime’s Bhramam review does not contain spoilers –
Bhramam Review: A Dark Mirage
Just like its Hindi-counter part, the film stars with the duality of existence, a nod to Schrödinger’s cat where we see a wild boar been shot by a man and at the same time run down by a car like the rare in Andhadhun. The opening scene is censorious and serves as the thematic outline for our protagonist’s voyage through the film.
Thereafter, we are introduced to our hero, Ray Mathews a musician pretending to be blind who makes his living by playing the piano until he meets Anna who offers him a pianist’s position at her father’s restaurant and, with whom he eventually falls in love. Parallelly we also see Simi’s life running where she is married to an old film star Uday Kumar and she aspires to be a renowned actress.
The paths of Simi and Ray crossing on the occasion of a murder that turns Ray into an accomplice of sorts (given that he can actually see) and sets the duo rolling into a never-ending turmoil to do whatever is necessary to save themselves from being caught.
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The film embodies the entire storyline and cinematography of Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadhun be it the shots of Ray playing the piano, Anna meeting Ray through an accident while riding her scooter to the entire murder cover-up and subsequent events that follow putting Ray’s life in danger. The bizarre series of events that unfold are darkly entertaining and even if you know how the film ends, you are gripping the edge of your seat trying to predict the very next moment. As an audience, such an authentic remake gratifies you as it not only respects the original film but also, gives its own essence to the script.
The actors are all brilliant in their respective roles, especially Prithviraj Sukumaran who plays the protagonist Ray is in such fit shape that we have never seen him in before. Additionally, Rashi Khanna’s Anna and Unni Mukundan’s C.I. Abhinav Menon are also very well versed in offering performances with flair.
Mamta Mohandas’ Simi is everything we saw Tabu be and more. In fact, it is Mamta Mohandas who somewhere down the line steals the show from Prithviraj by delivering such a difficult and complex performance. And in all honesty, it is rather bold and beautiful to see women take up roles exploring the grey shades and not just be painted in all white to please the men on screen. Characters such as Simi’s open a plethora of emotions and depth to the female characters in the world of cinema and should be encouraged to stand in the frontline.
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However, to some viewers, the scene-by-scene recreation might look like a lack of creative elements. But, when you have a masterpiece at hand, who would try to meddle with perfection, right? The colloquial touch the film provides helps it stand out and makes it more hilarious and stylish to watch. Another key feature of the film is, of course, music and the music by Jakes Bejoy with his youthful touch charms the audience, especially through the song Munthiripoovo.
Bhramam: Final Verdict
Amazon Prime’s Bhramam keeps you engaged not just with the premise but also by putting forward one of the best acting performances of 2021. It is a great tribute if you can call it that, to the critically acclaimed Andhadhun. If you like the original, you would surely like this one too. And, if you are someone who has not watched either of the films, then you are in for a wild ride, so tighten your seat belts and enjoy the treat.
You can watch Bhramam now, streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Meanwhile, if you are interested in watching the film that inspired Bhramam, you can find Andhadhun streaming on Jio Cinema.
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