Film- Thiranthidu Seese
Director- Nimesh Varshan
Cast- Veeravan Stalin, Dhanshika, Narayan, Anjana, Ujjaini
In this psychological thriller, the happenings take place on a single night at a pub which has closed for the night. Debutant director Varshan has used the confines of the limited space to advantage, and crafted a deceptively unusual suspense thriller centered on three main characters caught in a web of intrigue.
The trio is the two bartenders John and Hussain (Veeravan, Narayan), and a customer Charmi (Dhanshika). The screenplay is geared on the psyche of two men, who don’t have any strong morals and women being their weakness. The duo makes plans to seduce the lone Charmi, as they ply her with more drinks than she could handle.
The unusual opening arouses curiosity in the viewer. The ambience of the bar is captured realistically in its smoky dimly-lit interiors and in the activities going on there. The action begins after the bar is closed, when the bartenders to their dismay, find Charmi in the washroom in a semi-conscious state. It’s then a mind game between the duo and her, the girl crying rape and the guys denying it vehemently.
The scene where Charmi, with a hazy memory tries to recreate the early moments to find out who the culprit is, is an interesting one. There are a few other characters, brought in probably to add colour to the ambience — like the cop, who enters to get some free drinks and a tramp in urgent need of a peg. A psychiatrist (Ujjaini) friend of the duo is also called in to verify the girl’s claim.
After a lot of Freudian analyses on the two men — all of which would go over the head of a layman — she labels one as an incorrigible alcoholic and a ‘high- risk sexually aggressive person’. The interval caption reads, ‘Time to appear in just ten minutes’.
The second half slackens in its early stages, turning a tad monotonous. The backstory of Charmi is briefly narrated. But that of John’s is long winding and distracting. Towards the latter part the scenario turns bizarre, the girl turning aggressive and violent in her vendetta seeking mood. The knot is unusual and the screenplay geared to generate suspense and thrill.
What the director has managed to do is to keep the narration suspense-filled and intriguing for the most part. A ravishing Dhanshika plays Charmi with elan. Veeravan (the film’s producer) as John is totally confident and convincing in his debut performance. Narayan’s Hussain brings in some light moments. Taking a stand against alcoholism, it’s a nod to the ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’ and the good work they do.