Producer– Box Office Cinema India Pvt. Ltd.
Director– Shalini Usha Nair
Cast- Fahadh Faasil, Anumol, Shelly Kishore, Prakash Bare, Sajitha Madathil, Giridhar etc.
Music– Deepak Raghu, Murari Vasudevan
Review By : Unni R Nair (Kerala9.com )
I wouldn’t compare ‘Akam’ to Malayattoor Ramakrishnan’s famed novel ‘Yakshi’, on which the film is based or to ‘Yakshi’, the 1968 movie directed by K S Sethumadhavan and based on the same novel. ‘Akam’, directed by Shalini Usha Nair, doesn’t come up to the level of either of these; the film may not impress Malayattoor’s admirers and neither would it be liked by those who have seen Sethumadhavan’s ‘Yakshi’. But, as an independent work, as a film, I’d say ‘Akam’ is good, in its own way.
So let’s forget Malayattoor’s ‘Yakshi’ and K S Sethumadhavan’s ‘Yakshi’ and discuss ‘Akam’ as an independent work. The film narrates the same story, set against contemporary society. Sreenivas (Fahadh Faasil), a brilliant architect who is popular with girls due to his charm, meets with an accident while travelling along with Thara (Shelly Kishore), his girlfriend. One side of his face gets disfigured and his leg too is fractured. So now, Sreeni, with half of his face appearing half-burnt like and with a slight limp, is a totally different person. Thara no longer is in his life; he’s no longer liked by women. But his career is intact and his boss CK (Prakash Bare) is still a friend and well-wisher. It’s then that Sreeni meets Ragini (Anumol), a charming young woman with whom he falls in love and who too cares for him. They eventually get married. But soon Sreeni starts doubting his wife, whose past and whereabouts have always seemed a mystery. He starts thinking that his wife is no ordinary human being, but a Yakshi, a demonic spirit who is out to kill guys and drink their blood. This thought haunts him and Sreeni, who is already confined to a shell of his own, loses control of himself and his life…
The format, which is more like that of an art-movie, may not appeal to the masses. The off-beat kind of treatment wouldn’t make the film a mass film, but ‘Akam’ definitely is a good work. Sreeni’s plight after the accident, his staying aloof from all after being scarred (physically and emotionally), Ragini’s side of the story, Thara’s side etc has been handled deftly. The performance side too is good. Of course the script could have been handled a bit differently and the film would then have been much better. As of now, ‘Akam’ definitely is a good movie, worth a watch…
Performance
Fahadh Faasil, who did this film much before most of his recent films, must be appreciated for having agreed to do the role. He has done justice to the character, but once again I’d say I won’t compare his performance to that of Satyan in the 1968 film. Let that aspect not be discussed in this review. Anumol looks good as Ragini; she could go places if she gets good roles to do under talented directors. The others in the cast are good.
Technical aspects
A major highlight of the film is cinematography by Christopher John Smith. He has composed some brilliant frames, especially in the end sequences.
Music
The background score jells well with the mood and the theme.
Script
Shalini Usha Nair, who has penned the script too, has succeeded in depicting the plight of Sreeni in a good way. She also focuses on the plight of Ragini. But somehow, looking at it from the viewers’ perspective, it seems the drama could have been much more intense. This intensity element is missing and that makes the viewers stay a bit uninvolved. That way, ‘Akam’ fails to communicate and impress as effectively as it should have…
Direction
As director, Shalini Usha Nair has done a commendable job. But she couldn’t overcome the flaws of the script (which she herself has penned) and that affects the film, to an extent…Ultimately, we come out saying, “Good film, but is that what I expected out of an adaptation of the Malayattoor novel?” Well, watch the film and find out!!
Verdict– Good, sensitive but lacking some amount of intensity. Good performances!!
Rating: 2.5/5