Fahadh Faasil’s Uninhibited Act Carries This Thinly-Plotted Film

Aavesham movie review: The casting of Fahadh Faasil as don Ranga was brilliant since the actor doesn’t do too many masala films.

You know when Malayalam star Fahadh Faasil stars in a film and also produces it, then you are in for an exciting ride. Added to this you have the director of superhit film, Romancham, as director and it’s a film that becomes a must-see. Aavesham sees Fahadh Faasil, don the role of Ranga, along with a group of fresh actors, who make this gangster comedy a laugh riot.

The plot

Like director Jithu Madhavan’s previous film, Aavesham is set in Bengaluru and revolves around a group of college kids. Three migrant Malayali college kids - Bibi (Midhun), Aju (Hipster) and Shanthan (Roshan Shanavas) - decide to unite the first years to prevent getting ragged but this backfires and they kidnapped and beaten up by their seniors for two days straight.

The three then decide they want to extract revenge but have no ‘local support’. In their quest for local support, they visit numerous seedy bars to befriend a local gangster who can help them in this crazy plan. And it is at Mayuri Bar the three end up meeting Ranga, who stands out like a sore thumb.

Ranga really shines because not only is he dressed in a pristine white shirt and pants, but he has a jewellery shop’s worth on his body what with solid gold chains, bracelets and rings. His right hand man Amban (Sajin Gopu) boosts up his boss’s image with stories of glory to the three boys who think he is a cartoon. Ranga seems like a gangster but doesn’t physically touch anyone. So how is he a gangster they wonder. Pretty soon they find out what power he yields and drag Ranga into their college politics with their seniors. What happens next forms the rest of the story.

What works

Aavesham is a well-written gangster comedy and director Jithu Madhavan has proved his mettle yet again. His uncanny ability to pick new actors (like Midhun, Hipster and Roshan) who are apt and superb in their roles is a huge plus in this film as well.

While the college story is an oft-seen one in films, it is Ranga’s character that is pivotal to making it a mass masala comic caper. The dialogues add a lot of humour to the film and the director has ensured that the boys, Ranga and Amban have their equal share of witty ones to keep the audience in splits.

Ultimately, the casting of Fahadh Faasil as Ranga was brilliant since the star doesn’t do too many massy masala films. When it comes to performance, Fahadh Faasil is undoubtedly the star of Aavesham. He carries the film effortlessly on his shoulders and his sense of comedy comes through perfectly in his various expressions and gestures.

For instance, the little dance he does after his shower gives us the funny side of this dreaded gangster. All in all, the talented Fahadh Faasil has put his indelible stamp on Ranga and one can’t imagine another actor essaying this role.

Final thoughts

The film will appeal especially to the youth not just for its theme but also the fact that music director’s Sushin Shyam’s songs are very trendy and hip. The cinematography by Sameer Thahir is good but the editing could have been better as some scenes could have been done away with.

Aavesham is a must-watch not just because it’s a well-made film but also because Fahadh Faasil is a riot in masala caper. (Courtesy: https://www.hindustantimes.com/)