Cast: Udhayanidhi Stalin, Aditi Rao Hydari, Nithya Menen
There is something unsettling yet gripping about this thriller. When Mysskin added the tagline ‘inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’, there was surely some form for inspiration taken from an English filmmaker known for creating extensive psychological thriller films especially his blockbuster 1960 cult Psycho. But, there is something about Mysskin’s Psycho, he draws the line between Hitchcock’s and his antagonist, in the sense, Mysskin tries to create an emotional rapport with his Psycho. But, the film has its own set of glaring flaws.
Gautham (Udhayanidhi Stalin) is a visually-impaired man who falls in love with Dhagini (Aditi Rao Hydari), a radio jockey. Gautham stalks her ruthlessly and when Dhagini confronts him, she realizes that he is visually-impaired. After a rather awkward conversation, Dhagini asks Gautham to find a clue through her tomorrow’s show so that he gets to meet her. However, a serial killer on the loose, Angulimala, finds Dhagini and makes her his thirteenth victim after murdering twelve women who have been successful in their respective fields. However, when he is about to murder her, her brave glare stops him. A serial killer who has been fooling the police for over five years somehow is intimated by Dhagini’s courage and is eager to meet Gautham whom she says will be there to save her. In an effort to save Dhagini, Gautham meets officer Kamala (Nithya Menen), who is a quadriplegic. What unfolds, as a result, is the entire narrative.
Starting from the best to the worst, Nithya Menen’s role is the most exciting to watch. She is seen as a foul-mouthed woman with a very brave face and a braver heart. Unlike Nithya’s previous roles, she is very different in this one for sure. Aditi as Dhagini is average in the beginning but in the end, she manages to create an impact with her role. Last but not the least, Udhayanidhi Stalin as Gautham could have been so much better. Neither did his voice nor did his face have any expression considering the fact that he is visually-impaired. Aditi and Udhayanidhi’s chemistry is a big miss and it just did not click.
Mysskin has put in a great effort trying to create an emotional connection between the audience and the antagonist. To some level, it works but Gautham stalking Dhagini, the usual victimizing of successful women, these scenes turn out to be very agonizing and annoying to watch. Successful women are either shown to be arrogant villains or are murdered brutally. Just, why?
Some of the scenes leave us clueless and blank too. Why is Gautham stalking Dhagini? How does he figure out where she is all the time? When Gautham’s friend talks to him over the phone with the serial killer next to him, does he really talk to Gautham since they just had a big fight before that?
A few scenes like the one with the teacher and most of the ones with Angulimala turn out to be quite an interesting turn. Mysskin has clearly taken inspiration from Ramayana, Buddhism, and Christianity to add more value to his gripping narrative.
There are multiple logical loopholes in the film but the cinematography and the background score save the entire of it. Ilayaraja reminds us why he is a legend through this film with his impeccable background score and beautiful songs.
Fortunately, for a director like Mysskin, he never really creates a completely bad film. Those who love the director’s filmmaking style and curiosity are sure to love this film. Flaws are multiple but that is not what Mysskin is trying to target, he just wants the audience to get into the head of a serial killer until the end when he is glorified for his heinous crimes. Overall, a good effort.
Verdict: An interesting watch, not for the faint-hearted.
Rating: 3/5
