Film: Aalamaram
Director: S N.Durai Singh
Cast: Hemanth Kumar, Avantika Mohan, Meiyappan, Arumugam
The plot centres on a haunted banyan tree in a village and the happenings around it. The tree possessed by the spirit of a rustic killed treacherously by his employer, spares no one who comes near it. But a pair of lovers which frequents the place to catch some private moments is surprisingly spared by the tree. The hurdles are the various bigwigs around the village who covet the girl.
In the early scenes, Aalamaram shuttles between the past and present’. When the rustic was killed brutally, his soul yearning for vengeance possesses a woman, who walks around the village fulfilling his needs.
However, at present, the lovers Malar and Karthi use the tree as their secret meeting place. But after the importance given to the dreaded tree, its roots travel to a grazing goat nearby and devours it. It is almost passive for the rest of the film. It’s just the favourite location after that.
The lead pair is adequate, but not quite able to make any great impression in a scenario where the screenplay is weak and the story- telling jumpy. A crucial character is the hero’s friend Sadaiyan, a role that is played by Meiyappan. He gets a meaty role and makes the best of it. Sadaiyan plays up to the bigwigs, exploits their lust for Malar, and manages to fleece money from each. There is an attempt at comedy which never really takes off. The end has a twist, but seems contrived and forced.
Falling somewhere between a supernatural thriller and a romantic saga, the film is neither blood curdling, nor is it engaging in its intrigue and romance.