Runtime: 156 minutes
Directed by: Jithu Madhavan
Starring: Fahadh Faasil, HIPSTER (yes, that's his name), Mithun Jai Sankar, Roshan Shanavas, Sajin Gopu
From: A few different Indian companies
A movie appropriate to see yesterday while Indians around the world celebrated Holi-a key scene in the film was set during the holiday. It was not only overdue for me to see a movie from India, this in particular was one of more than a few recommended that I see in the Malayalam language after my review of Marco from late last year. Marco was an extremely violent film, grimdark and IMO it went a step too far in the final act. Well, Aavesham was completely different, at least in tone.
The movie is a wacky action-comedy affair concerning a group of freshmen who enter a college of engineering in Bangalore. Besides it being a place which requires school unforms and the freshman can stay at the BK Hostel, but there’s a group of seniors who run an informal gang & were real hoodlums. I can’t necessarily say this was far-fetched as I don’t know what college life is like in India… I can only say this didn’t happen to me during my college days. Well, those freshmen befriend a literal gangster in a bid to gain revenge…
Ranga (Fahadh Faasil) was the gangster; what a dude, a middle-aged gentleman sporting many chains around his neck, adorned w/ gold rings on his fingers and a SWEET mustache, although not as incredible as the mustache on the face of his henchman, Amban. Still, Ranga was the epitome of masculinity. Note that they first meet at a urinal, everyone smoking a cigarette as they relieve themselves! Like in some modern Indian films, warnings are posted whenever characters drink & smoke that they aren’t condoning the behavior; those warnings appear often, believe me. I personally can condone that Ranga does Tik Tok dances… no, really. He’s an amazing character, and what a performance from Mr. Faasil.
Aside from a long charades scene where many different films/people were referenced and it was all a mystery to me as an ignorant white guy from America, the movie was a hoot from beginning to end. Comedy was at the forefront-thankfully, much of it did translate well for me. It’s a LONG while before the action beats begin; at first, the aftermath of violence is shown. However, once that release finally occurs, I was satisfied. Is the action what I stereotypically expect only judging by the modern Indian films I see on rare occasions… yes, although the fighting styles were at least different from the norm and the action wasn’t so bombastic it became divorced from reality, like I thought films like War 2 became.
Pulsating music that was among the best I’ve ever heard in an Indian movie (including catchy tunes) further aided my enjoyment of a film I’m happy to have tackled. Those that watch cinema from this country, you will be overjoyed to hear that I don’t plan on seeing just this movie from India during the month of March-there should be others.
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