Ramgopal Varma may have popularised the supernatural thriller genre in Hindi films but makers down south have only recently begun looking at it as an alternative to the typical romance-comedy-action formula routine. The recent box office success of films like ‘Yavarum Nalam’ and even the dubbed ‘Arundhati’, has further added a fillip to this genre. ‘Eeram’ is about a wronged soul’s vendetta against those who had destroyed her credibility and marital happiness.
Two rising heroes of Tamil cinema, Aadhi and Nanda play the lead roles here. The duo get an image make-over, their roles different from what they had essayed in earlier films. ‘Mrugam’s’ wild looking, debauched Aadhi, is here the clean-cut sober grim cop Vasu. Investigating the apparent suicide of Ramya, a housewife in her apartment, Vasu realizes soon enough that it could well be murder. Ramya being Vasu’s former girlfriend gets him under the police scanner too. And when Ramya’s neighbours get killed one by one, Vasu feels the presence of a supernatural force in their deaths. The unseen force revealed early to the audience, there is no element of suspense on that account here. It was a wronged spirit’s effort to convey her agony, and to expose and punish those who had been responsible for her fate.
Aadhi is sufficiently restrained, but some more expressions wouldn’t do any harm. Like in the scenes where he first feels the presence of a supernatural force. There are shades of films like ‘Mirrors’ here. Nanda plays Ramya’s insecure husband, the grief stricken Bala who tries to end his life, after his wife’s death. A role with grey shades, Nanda handles it fairly competently. But as the narration proceeds, the director goes overboard in adding more vileness to the character, putting an additional burden on the actor. Sindhu Menon infuses poignancy and conviction to the role of Ramya, a housewife, who is out to set right the moral lapses of her neighbours, finds it backfiring on her. In a briefer role as her sister Saranya Mohan impresses.
The misty, wet, rainy ambience which prevails for the most part, enhances the mood and feel. The earlier part moves at a brisk pace with Vasu’s investigation into Ramya’s death triggering memories of his earlier affair with her, the two tracks alternating. It’s in the second half that the slag sets in. The script could have been tightened here. Thankfully, there are no sudden sounds or visuals to jolt the senses or scare us out of our seats. The closing scene has a smart touch. A commendable effort from debut director Arivazhagan, Eeram, despite its flaws, is another refreshing product from Shankar’s S Pictures, that has always experimented with varied concepts, using lesser-known faces and fresh talents.