On tenterhooks

Sunil Ibrahim’s Arikil Oraal that reaches the theatres this Friday, is a suspense thriller that narrates the queer incidents happening abruptly in the lives of three youngsters.

What if a person, with whom we have been acquainted for some time, suddenly turns into a total stranger? Sunil Ibrahim’s Arikil Oraal that hits the screens this Friday, is a suspense thriller that narrates the queer incidents happening abruptly in the lives of three youngsters. Told against the bustling backdrop of Kochi, actors Indrajith, Nivin Pauly and Remya Nambeesan don the major roles in the movie.

Sunil, who debuted through Chapters, says his latest outing is a story told in a mystery mode. “The subject of the film is a wee bit different from the themes hitherto discussed in Malayalam cinema. Though the story unveils the lives of three friends, it is not a movie on friendship or romance. Some elements in the film even question reality. There are situations in which the characters stay wonderstruck, bemused by the incidents that are beyond their level of understanding,” says Sunil.

The director says he had written the story in 2006, even before penning his debut movie Chapters. “But then, only a very few people showed interest to shell out money for the project, owing to its unique theme. However, the scene has changed since then, and the industry is open to experimentation now,” he says.

When the film opens, Sidharth (Indrajith), a creative ad writer by profession gets transferred from Bangalore to Kochi. Here he meets his friend Veena (Remya Nembeesan), an aspiring dancer. And through Remya, Sidharth befriends Ichcha (Nivin Pauly), a waiter at a cafe. “Sidharth, being a person who gets along with people easily, decides to stay with Ichcha. The scene changes from then, as the duo, Sidharth and Veena, are taken aback by the strange behaviour of Ichcha. The plot thickens, when they enquire more about Ichcha, from the limited information and the gruesome incidents that happens,” narrates the director.

“The highlight of the film is its story that keeps the viewers on tenterhooks. In cities, we are sometimes compelled to share space with strangers, and this film is about one such sudden experience,” says Sunil. Two major characters of the film are played by Prathap Pothen, who enacts the role of a person who specialises in spirits, and Lena, as Sidharth’s colleague.

There are three songs in the film. While Gopi Sundar is the music director, Indrajith, Chithra Iyyer, Remya Nambeesan and Shreya Raghav have crooned the songs. Krish Kymal cranks the camera. Arikil Oraal is produced by Ashiq Usman under the banner of Milestone Cinemas.

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