Bramayugam arrested me, my friends, and everybody else in the theatre I watched it. From the moment Thevan (Arjun Ashokan) entered the gateway of that dilapidated mana, all were in a timeless loop. Kodumon Potti (Mammootty) stretches his wild arms to greet us and offers food and shelter. Done! Thevan, the paanan is happy to sing for his new master who promptly changes his idea of slavery, caste, and creed. But, Potti's caretaker is hesitant to consider the guest. Look at the demeanor of Siddarth Bharathan, he carries the obscurity and numbness of years of captivity which even bothers the powerful Kodumon Potti. That’s mutual. A deep sense of insecurity between the captor and slave. A game of dice. Fate decides the winner and you can’t play it twice. Kodumon Potti’s wicked eyes fall on his next pawn.
Director Rahul Sadasivan’s best creative space is Bhoothakalam (past). In Bramayugam (era of madness) God has no role. Koduman Potti never allows Thevan to thank God, but only him. If he is the giver, he should be worshipped. The less privileged have no other choice. By the time Thevan gets it, he is in shackles and lost his way out. Two ill-fated men under a goblin with destructive black magic powers are trapped in a mansion that stocks all dark secrets through generations. Jothish Shankar’s art enriches the 17th-century setting in and out of Koduman Potti’s mana. I could feel the rusty past and damp present stuck in there. Bramayugam’s unusual black-and-white texture draws the audience like a sorcerer. That relentless rain and witchy premises around doubles the effect. Shehnad Jalal's camera makes conscious moves to stick you around a single location. Brilliant! I also loved Christo Xavier’s music.
Mammootty’s Kodumon Potti is unparalleled. In every expression, he retained Potti in its essence. A character, tailor-made for him. Bramayugam also brought out the best performances of two young actors- Arjun Ashokan and Siddarth Bharathan. Arjun enacted fear wholesomely. I felt him more compared to Siddarth’s self-possessed persona. The only female in Bramayugam comes in two scenes to seduce. TD Ramakrishnan’s script reverences each word.
Bramayugam ends confused.
Must theatre watch