Priyadarsan, the legendary film maker who was written off by many when he came up with the disastrous “Amayum, Muyalum” in 2014. In “Oppam” we see the veteran director emerging from the ashes and beginning to fly high like a Phoenix. He has’nt reached the great horizon yet. Nevertheless, Oppam is a Giant Leap for Priyadarshan and a strong come back! Highlights of the Movie Blind Man Vs Serial killer A Serial Killer is on a bloody hunt and the destiny puts a poor blindman, Jayaraman (Mohanlal) pitted against him. Jayaraman, (who is also the local guardian of a girl named Nandini,) has a double mission in his hand : Defending himself and saving the child…… Such a plot has never been handled in the history of Malayalam Cinema before. Mohanlal : The Return of the Actor After a long time, Mohanlal gets a role suitable for his age and one that gives space to the actor in him to perform. In fact, the character of Jayaraman is one of the most challenging roles since “Pranayam” (2011) for the gifted actor, who has been being wasted by Mollywood directors for over a decade. Here, Rather than imitating his own masterpieces, the natural actor gets an opportunity to showcase his acting skills. Portraying the helplessness and determination of the blind Jayaraman with ridiculous ease, Mohanlal once again reminds us that he is an actor first and a star second: not vice versa. Thriller with a Difference Breaking the traditional conventions of Thriller Movies, Priyadarsan takes a risky route in “Oppam” to create the thrills among the viewers. With the identity of the killer revealed in the first half itself, the film maker relies chiefly on his craftsmanship to make the audience hooked to their seats. The focus of the film is not on “who donnit? ; but on the Cat & Mouse Game between the killer and Jayaraman. Breathtaking Hitchcockian Moments Almost all the scenes that involve the killer has a certain menace into it…..The killer’s attempts to kill Jayaraman in the lift ,road: to name a few. Even the harmless shot of the killer opening a bottle of soda makes a distinct impression…..It's refreshing to see a mollywood director communicating with viewers through pure visuals without relying much on dialogues and Background Score and setting the mood of a scene….The excellent Back ground Score set by Ron Yohann is skillfully employed….The restraint shown in the depiction of violence in the film is praiseworthy. The director seldom resort togimmicks and goriness to create moments of excitement & effects of horror. What’s not So Good? Eventhough majority of the scenes in the movie are top class, there are, still, some avoidable scenes which are average at its best…..The usual joint family scenario, the desperation to marry off sister, wedding party song are some of the clichés that Priyadarsan, it seems , still believe essential items to woo family audience to the theatres. It’s quite sad to see the film maker repeating this ages-old clichés even while attempting a top notch thriller for the new generation in this twenty first century....These clichés slows down the film in the first half to some extent. Verdict : Good, but Not Great With a “never-seen-before” plot under its belt, Oppam had the precious fuel to go all the way and become an All Time Classic. The compromises made by makers eyeing on commercial success have denied the the film a well deserved cult status which was there for easy taking. That apart, Oppam is,still, a pretty good package which is hard to resist this season : with a plot engaging to the core, offering genuine moments of thrill and horror, technically top notch with good songs, great visuals and Excellent Background Music….And above All, A Memorable Performance from Mohanlal in a challenging role. (Form is Temporary; Class is permanent)
