Akam is an intriguing addition to the recently burgeoning stable of new age Malayalam cinema. While the movie has its flaws, it is still an engrossingly made film relying mainly on mood and pathos to take things forward.
At its core, it is about a young and confident architect, Srini, who seems to be reaching a good place in his life with great career prospects, an opportunity in the US waiting for him and a loving girlfriend. However, in the blink of an eye, everything changes. The accident which ensues leaves him almost hideously disfigured on one part of his face and a limp in his leg. But more telling is the impact it has on his personal life and confidence. His girlfriend, Tara, leaves him out of her own confusion on how to deal with the startling turn of events. The self pity and pathos Srini delves into is the fulcrum on which the movie is made. He meets a mysterious lady, Ragini, one day and they quickly become close. Despite his disfigurement, she seems to have no problems loving him and they end up getting married. However, Srini's boss and friend, CK, believes she is bad news and allegorically compares her to a yakshi, sucking human blood and flesh. Slowly, Srini descends into a state of confusion and self loathing and starts to literally believe what his friend suggested. The rest of the film deals with his response to Ragini in the light of this perceived revelation and the effect this has on certain other people around him.
I haven't read the original novel on which this is based, so I can't say if the ambiguity in the character of Ragini is intended or if this was a feature lost in translation to the big screen. While it starts off in a intriguingly moody and spooky manner, later on this same sense of mood serves as a dampener as the story seems to virtually halt at a point. Whether Ragini is, in fact, what Srini thinks her to be or not doesn't seem to be an important question in the director's or storywriter's mind as this is left as open ended as possible for the viewer. It is here that the movie falters in the second half, going the way of so many art house fare in seemingly mistaking vagueness for profundity. Ultimately, the movie does not achieve the aim of either being a spooky horror flick or an intense character study (though it does better in the latter, primarily because of Fahadh Faasil's performance).
However, for those of you who like to dabble in the unconventional, this is definitely worth a watch. The performances are mostly amazing, led by the dependably awesome Fahadh Faasil as Srini. The depressive intensity, self hate and doubt are captured perfectly by this poster boy of new gen Malayalam fare. The ladies both do a great job, as Tara and Ragini. With a bit more fleshing out, Ragini could have been a great character. One of the best things about the film is the perfect cinematography which elevates this piece to an entirely different level. The bustle of the metro, the claustrophobic interiors of plush apartments and musky old cinema halls, and the green of the open countryside are captured exquisitely on screen. The minimal background score serves very well on this kind of film too.
While this is not one of my favorites and has its fair share of shortcomings, Shalini Usha Nair is definitely someone to watch out for and I definitely would be waiting for a second effort from this team.
