‘Aviyal’ film overview: A muddled coming-of-age drama

A protagonist’s evolution will be resulting from numerous elements, however going by a number of the latest motion pictures with coming-of-age themes, it occurs primarily resulting from a collection of relationships. In Shanil Muhammed’s Aviyal too, that doesn’t change a lot, with the script specializing in 4 phases from the lifetime of the protagonist Krishnan, every representing a special relationship.

The movie is structured as a dialog between musician Krishnan (Joju George) and his daughter (Anaswara Rajan). To console the daughter who’s down and out after a break-up, he begins recounting occasions from his life on the drive again residence. Though one can’t be positive whether or not he supposed these as life classes (for many of it sound like cautionary tales), the daughter, to her credit score, does go some deservedly harsh judgements on her father’s previous conduct.

The duo has largely a cameo look, with debutant Sirajudeen Nazar making his presence felt as Krishnan, present process convincing transformations via the 4 phases of his life. The newcomer’s efficiency and transformations, from a college boy to lazy school scholar to a drug-addicted rock musician to a drunkard who turns into a burden for his spouse, are a number of the few positives of the movie. He has pulled off a job that seasoned actors would dream of, bringing about full adjustments in physique language to replicate his progress.

However this time-consuming effort just isn’t backed by some stable writing that might have gone a great distance in direction of elevating the movie. Shanil Muhammed, who wrote and co-directed the pleasant ‘Philips And The Monkey Pen’, makes a patchy effort right here together with his pen. He has written some convincing preliminary parts, when the protagonist is in school and school, and however the script turns into moderately muddled and shallow, satirically because the protagonist grows up. The 4 ladies in these 4 phases, besides one, don’t even have a lot scope for efficiency.

It’s commendable that Krishnan just isn’t proven in a constructive mild all via, though he’s narrating his life story to his daughter, however it will appear there’s nothing else to his life besides the few ladies whom he got here throughout. For a musician, even the music turns into a sideshow, used nearly at all times within the film as means for Krishnan to impress ladies. That might presumably be why they forgot to replenish the blanks in the long run, to inform us how he grew to become the level-headed musician that he’s now. The part of his life that showcases him as a drowned-in-drugs rock musician in Goa additionally turns into the weakest hyperlink of the movie.

Aviyal’s narrative, displaying the transformation of a younger harmless boy right into a decadent, angsty youth on the way in which to turn into a sober grownup, takes a well-recognized route. Solely elements of that life story attraction to us, whereas the absence of an impactful occasion stays as a downer.

Aviyal is at present working in theatres