One of the best-made Malayalam films of 2018 takes us on a gradual and sorta dull journey of two relatable characters - wife and husband (played by Aishwarya Lekshmi and Fahadh Faasil) - who are called outsiders by the vanity- and lust-filled inhabitants of the village where one of them spent their entire childhood. Amal Neerad's Varathan can be divided into two parts: one: 90 minutes of sheer narrative storytelling where the couple move from Dubai - romancing their way through some great tracks by the talented Sushin Shyam - and trying to find solace in a small farm house that is not devoid of voyeurs who reflect the collective real-life criminals we have around us; and two: a 30-minute taut action-packed revenge montage (again powered by a scintillating score and some great shots by Littil Swayamp), triggered by basic human instinct and between humans of two different kinds that is arguably the most magnificent series of sequences ever made in modern Malayalam cinema. When you finish watching the movie - numb across your body, yearning for Faasil to make some coffee for you - you will want to watch the second part one more time. And a few more times until you have made everyone in your friends and family circle to catch it on the big screen. Varathan will take you by surprise and make you forget its shortcomings. It will make you stronger and you'll like it because the world is not a good place anymore. TN.
