Review : Arikil Oraal

Producer- Ashiq Usman

Director- Sunil Ibrahim

Cast- Indrajith, Nivin Pauly, Remya Nambeeshan, Prathap Pothan, Lena etc.

Music- Gopi Sundar

Review By : Unni R Nair

Coming from Sunil Ibrahim, who had made a very impressive debut with ‘Chapters’, ‘Arikil Oraal’ is a disappointment. I wouldn’t say the film is a terrible let-down, but disappointing it certainly is. A film that begins on a very interesting note and seems to be discussing something new ultimately goes off the track and ends up on a not-so-interesting note…

‘Arikil Oraal’ has three pivotal characters. Siddharth (Indrajith), a much-acclaimed advertisement guy, who comes to join an advertising agency in Kochi, Veena (Remya Nambeeshan), a dancer and friend of Siddharth and Ichcha (Nivin Pauly), who works at a posh cafe in the city form the three vertices of the film.

Siddharth, after landing up in Kochi, happens to meet Ichcha through Veena. On the look-out for a suitable lodging, Siddharth finally ends up staying with Ichcha, who is put up in a big house, the owner of which has moved elsewhere and where Ichcha is sort of tenant plus caretaker. Siddharth and Ichcha develop a rapport and days are rather happy for the three friends- Siddharth, Ichcha and Veena. But then, one day, Siddharth finds out that there is something strange about Ichcha. He realizes that Ichcha mysteriously appears at two places simultaneously. Siddharth is confused in the beginning and then, when this thing recurs and happens even to Veena, they start getting terrified. It’s from here that the film takes off…

Well, ‘Arikil Oraal’ seems initially move on a rather slow and unhurried pace and the plot builds up slowly. You are then introduced to the doppelganger phenomenon and your interest is perhaps doubled. You expect it to be a really different Malayalam movie, exploring something that perhaps been never discussed before in Malayalam. The interval punch is good and you expect it all to catch fire post-interval, though you may have let out a yawn or two in the first half of the movie, owing to its slackened pace. But then, after interval, the over-all pace of the movie seems to be the same. But still, you expect something interesting to happen eventually. This is where it all goes wrong. The film ends on a totally different note and maybe a few minutes before it arrives at the seemingly predictable kind of an end, you even want it to either pick momentum or just come to a screeching halt. Not that the way the story ends is unconvincing or that it’s all narrated unconvincingly. On the other hand, though you perhaps expected this kind of an ending, you never wanted ‘Arikil Oraal’ to end thus. You wanted it to be different and it ends up being like those many movies that you’ve already seen.

The pace too is an issue. I feel that if it had all been a bit pacy, perhaps the seemingly predictable climax wouldn’t have mattered. As of now, ‘Arikil Oraal’, though it seems to be offering something new, doesn’t offer anything new and is not much interesting owing to its slow pace too.

Performance 

Performance-wise ‘Arikil Oraal’ belongs mainly to Nivin Pauly. He does his part with conviction. Indrajith too is impressive. Remya Nambeeshan plays her part convincingly while Prathap Pothan has nothing much to do, though his character, at the outset seems quite interesting. Lena is OK with her role, a character that has nothing much to do as regards the plot.

Technical aspects

Krish Kymal, the cinematographer does a neat job while the other technicians too lend able support.

Music

Gopi Sundar does a good job of the background score, but the songs offer nothing new or extra-ordinary.

Script

Well, it’s the screenplay, penned by the director himself, which derails the film. Sunil Ibrahim should have let the tempo build up in a better manner, on the very interesting premise that he has chosen to base the film on. But the over-all slow pace, the rather unimpressive ending and the feeling of it all seeming to go on and on and on without arriving anywhere is what makes it sort of a let-down.

Direction

As director Sunil Ibrahim of course is in control of the happenings. But the script that he has penned plays villain here. Had the film been a bit pacy and had it been worked out in a better manner, the film would have been much better.

Verdict- An interesting premise, promising start but fizzes off towards the end

Rating: 2/5