Film- Vishamakaran
Director- V
Cast- V, Anicka Vikhraman, Chaitra Reddy, Vj Maheshwari, Uthara
An IT professional and a VFX artist, V (aka V Vijay) turns writer-director-actor with ‘Vishamakaran’. The film depicts the journey of a life coach, a wellness professional who while helping people to improve their relationships and careers finds himself falling into a relationship crisis. How he tackles the situation forms the rest of the plot. Subterfuge and manipulation are methods the smart witted use at times to help them tide over a crisis or to achieve what they had set their eyes on. And here too these two elements play a major part in moving the plot forward.
The story revolves around three characters, a married couple and the husband’s former girl friend who re-enters his life. Agni’s (V) professional and personal life was going on the right track. He had moved on after his break up with Tarangini (Chaitra), found a suitable life partner in Aigiri (Anicka) and was enjoying a life of bliss and harmony. There is a flashback as he narrates to Aigiri the reason for his break up with Tarangini. She was the female version of him, an extrovert and strong minded, and the separation had left a vacuum in his life, he tells her. And then one day Tarangini turns up unexpectedly in his life. And Agni’s claims, that he doesn’t support infidelity and that he was neutral about bigamy, are put to test.
Episodes like an insecure Aigiri making moves to monitor Agni’s life, help build up the curiosity and the suspense factor.Though, one does get the feel that there was more to it than met the eye. One reason being that a life coach and super manipulator like Agni, would not have so easily allowed himself to fall prey to a manipulator. And when the manipulator-victim equation changes at a point, one is proved right. It has a handsome cast, photographed to advantage. V makes a confident debut, though a tad inhibited while sharing intimate moments with his co-stars. Both Anicka and Chaithra fit in suitably.
The film has an urban setting, English spoken most of the time, a smattering of Tamil thrown in. It has a glossy look, with exotically designed interiors and aesthetic backdrops. But a feel of artificiality prevails. Whether, it’s in the setting up of a scene, or in the flow of dialogue. The characters talk a lot, the dialogue flowing almost non-stop.
A caption says ‘a game of manipulation’. Such triangular affairs are not a rarity on Tamil screen. But the concept of a master manipulator caught in a love triangle and bringing his life back on track, is an innovative one. ‘Vishamakaran’ (!07 minutes) an appreciable first effort of a maker, could have been an intriguing journey, had the screenplay been etched in a more coherent manner.
Malini Mannath
Malini Mannath 