Child sex abuse and the emotional trauma the victim and the parents undergo, form the theme of the movie. The director has attempted to strike a different chord with the script. Lending a realistic tone to his storytelling, he avoids the clichéd approach to such themes. It’s more an emotional take on the subject as seen from the perspective of the victim and her parents, than a suspenseful, investigative approach.
Set in Bangalore, the opening episodes briefly touch on the romance between Aadhi and Aadhira (debutant Ajay and Abhinaya). While we appreciate the director for keeping these episodes short, we do get the feel that even these moments are a distraction.
They could have been dispensed with and substituted with a different prelude that would have worked better with the story that followed.
The couple has an eight-year-old Bhoomi, and Aadhira pregnant with her second child. While she runs their grocery store, Aadhi works in a garage. Bhoomi is sexually abused on her way to school while helping out a stranger find his way. Rain plays an important character in the plot. It was a rainy day when her parents first met and it was a rainy day when Bhoomi had to face the most traumatic moment of her life.
Bhoomi’s character is scripted in a different way. Bold and sensible, it’s her presence of mind that comes to her aid in the trying circumstance.
From a victim to a survivor, Bhoomi, after the initial moments of shock, takes control of her life. Even in her hospital bed and in a state of trauma, Bhoomi asks her father not to let the ‘bad man’ go unpunished. Baby Sathanya surprises one with her instinctive and mature handling of the character.
How counselling can play a significant part in such situations is brought out well. Touching is Bhoomi’s innocent query to her therapist, “Helping someone is a good thing they say.
I only went to help the man, then why do they say I committed a mistake?” We can only assume that the director probably didn’t want to sound preachy.
The investigation by the cop (Kishore) has no drama or fake heroism. A tad slow, the film may have its glitches. But what one appreciates is that amid the horrific scenario, the director has managed to infuse his narration with a positive flavour. A promising work of a debutant maker, Nisabdham taking about 126 minutes of viewing time, strikes a chord different from the routine formula fare.