Varathan
| Varathan | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Amal Neerad |
| Screenplay by | Suhas-Sharfu |
| Produced by | Nazriya Nazim Amal Neerad |
| Starring | Fahadh Faasil Aishwarya Lekshmi |
| Cinematography | Littil Swayamp |
| Edited by | Vivek Harshan |
| Music by | Sushin Shyam |
Production companies | Fahadh Faasil and Friends Amal Neerad Productions |
| Distributed by | A & A Release |
Release date |
|
Running time | 130 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Box office | ₹33 crore[1] |
Varathan (transl. Outsider) is a 2018 Indian Malayalam-language survival thriller film directed by Amal Neerad. It was jointly produced by Nazriya Nazim and Neerad under the banners of Fahadh Faasil and Friends and Amal Neerad Productions. It was written by Suhas-Sharfu and stars Fahadh Faasil and Aishwarya Lekshmi. The film was released on 20 September 2018. Multiple critics described it as an uncredited remake of the 1971 movie Straw Dogs.[2][3][4][5]
Plot
Varathan is a story about a husband and wife, Aby and Priya who return to Kerala when Aby loses his job in Dubai. They then decide to live at Priya's childhood-home in the hills. Since their first day there, Priya is suspicious of the intentions of the contractors who work on her family's land. The villagers and neighbours are often shown oggling at her. After their wedding anniversary, when the couple go to bed, Priya spots someone staring at them from the window. But when she wakes her husband, the shadow disappears. Next day, when Priya is about to take a bath, she spots a man staring at her through the window. She screams and Aby spots a worker in the upper terrain. He shuts the window with duct tape and newspaper. Priya is constantly seen warning Aby that people around there were not the same as in Bangalore or Dubai, so they ought to be more careful. Even an occasion occurs when Priya's inner wears are stolen by Jithin.
One day, Aby has to meet up with a designer regarding their startup and Priya is left alone at home. She promises to go to the convent after Aby goes. Priya locks the door and goes to the convent Library on her scooty. Although, midway she is hit by a Jeep with the malefic neighbours Josy, Johnny and their right hand man Jithin. While she lays unconscious, they leave her on the hospital . When Aby returns home at night, he sees the house locked. He then goes out on a search for her when he gets a call from the caretaker of the estates, Benny, who informs him that Priya was hospitalized. When Aby reaches the hospital, Priya is furious. She fumes out of the hospital saying nothing. Aby tries to talk to her when they are on their way home, but Priya is agitated. She takes the key, walks into the house and starts packing her bags. When Aby starts to question her, Priya says she was sexually molested she no longer felt safe living with Aby up there in the hills or anywhere else.
Aby walks out and lights a cigarette standing at the front door. A boy and mother, whom Aby and Priya once gave lift to, comes crying to the house. They describe how the boy was caught with the Contractor's daughter Sandra in the bushes that day. They explain how the contractor family is looking to kill him. Aby tells the mother and son to go inside and locks the door. Two men, who work for the contractor comes inquiring about the boy. Aby says he doesn't know where the boy is. Unsatisfied, they return after noticing one of the boy's slippers on the verandah. However, a Jeep and multiple people including the Contractor and all his sons come to Aby's house. They ask for the boy and Aby says he won't let go of the boy. They can find him tomorrow at the Police Station.
None of the people withdraw, upon which Aby walks inside and tries to lock the door. When he is stopped by Johnny, Aby slides out a butcher's knife from the doorside and stabs his left forearm. He locks the door and walks Priya, the mother and the boy to a safe room.
From there, the movie takes an action-mode. Aby sets up the house to electrocute the invaders and successfully does so. Some others who try to invade the house are seen burned with torch flame and LPG gas cylinder, cleverly by Aby. After fighting tooth and nail until the morning, Aby is caught by Josey and the contractor. While they aim to shoot him with a gun, Priya walks out with the mother and the son as if in surrender. When they look towards her, Priya shoots two of the perpetrators. Aby, seeing the opportunity, takes charge. The contractor flees away and Aby brutally hits Josey, the last of his wife's abuser. And he informs that police will come & take them.
After chaos, he is seen drinking the coffee with Priya while he narrates Josey how law is still valid and alive in this part of the country. After that, an epilogue 'Two week Later' is seen where Aby locks the gate with a plaque on it saying 'Trespassers will be Shot'. They live happy life after.
Cast
- Fahadh Faasil as Abi Mathew
- Aishwarya Lekshmi as Priya Paul
- Sharaf U Dheen as Josey
- Dileesh Pothan as Benny
- Nisthar Sait
- Arjun Ashokan as Johnny
- Vijilesh Karayad as Jithin
- Shobhi Thilakan
- Chethan Jayalal as Preman
- Unnimaya Prasad as Preman's mother
- Parvathi T. as Priya's mother
- Kochu Preman as Oanth
- Jinu Joseph as Alex
Production
Besides directing, Amal Neerad co-produced the film with Nazriya Nazim, which stars her husband Fahadh Faasil alongside Aishwarya Lekshmi. Neerad revealed the film's title on 20 June 2018 by releasing the first poster. Varathan in Malayalam means "outsider" in English.[6][7][8] Writer Suhas describes the film as a "survival thriller".[9] Shot in Dubai and Wagamon, filming was completed by June 2018.[10][11]
Soundtrack
| Varathan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | September 12, 2018 | |||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 40:09 | |||
| Label | Goodwill Entertainments | |||
| Producer | Sushin Shyam | |||
| Sushin Shyam chronology | ||||
| ||||
The music was composed, programmed and arranged by Sushin Shyam. Lyrics were penned by Vinayak Sasikumar.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nee" | Vinayak Sasikumar | Sreenath Bhasi, Nazriya Nazim | 03:22 |
| 2. | "Puthiyoru Pathayil" | Vinayak Sasikumar | Nazriya Nazim | 03:05 |
| 3. | "Oduvile Theeyayi" | Vinayak Sasikumar | Sushin Shyam, Neha S. Nair | 04:10 |
| 4. | "Title - Sit Back and Relax" | 2:29 | ||
| 5. | "Abin's Office-Uncertainty" | 1:45 | ||
| 6. | "Priya and Abin's Love Theme" | 2:24 | ||
| 7. | "Looking Arround the House /Exploring" | 1:30 | ||
| 8. | "Creep Outside/Josie theme" | 1:47 | ||
| 9. | "Prying Eyes" | 1:23 | ||
| 10. | "Violated" | 2:27 | ||
| 11. | "Red is On" | 7:17 | ||
| 12. | "Night vision" | 1:33 | ||
| 13. | "Assault" | 1:25 | ||
| 14. | "The End" | 5:32 | ||
| Total length: | 40:09 | |||
Release
The film was released on 20 September 2018.[14]
Many of the critics remarked that the film is an unofficial adaptation of Straw Dogs.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]
Box office
The film was a commercial success. As of 5 October 2018, the film has grossed ₹22 crore worldwide, with ₹18 crore from Kerala alone. It grossed ₹1.06 crore from Bangalore in 12 days. As of October, it was the highest-grossing Malayalam film of that year in Bangalore.[23] Varathan grossed a total of ₹33 crore worldwide at the end of its theatrical run.[1]
References
- ^ a b Narayanan, Nirmal (27 December 2018). "Mollywood 2018: List of top 5 blockbusters that stormed box office". International Business Times. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/review/2018/sep/24/varathan-movie-review-a-blistering-and-immensely-satisfying-revenge-thriller-1876236.html
- ^ https://www.ibtimes.co.in/varathan-review-amal-neerads-malayalam-movie-free-make-straw-dogs-781068
- ^ https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/news/2018/is-varathan-copy-the-hollywood-movie-straw-dogs-amal-neerad-fahadh-faasil-have-this-to-say-277962.html
- ^ https://in.style.yahoo.com/varathan-copy-hollywood-movie-straw-124930326.html
- ^ "New Fahadh Faasil-Amal Neerad movie 'Varathan' to be out for Onam". Thenewsminute.com. 20 June 2018.
- ^ "Fahadh Faasil's look in Amal Neerad's Varathan revealed. See pic". Hindustantimes.com. 20 June 2018.
- ^ "Varathan First Look: Fahadh Faasil is working under his wife Nazriya's production company? - Asianet Newsable". M.dailyHunt.in.
- ^ Shrijith, Sajin (20 September 2018). "'Varathan is a survival thriller'". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
- ^ "'Varathan': First look poster of Amal Neerad's Fahadh Faasil starrer". The Times of India. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
- ^ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/fahadh-faasil-to-shoot-in-dubai-again/articleshow/64134167.cms
- ^ https://gaana.com/album/varathan-ost
- ^ https://music.apple.com/us/album/varathan-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-single/1436181127
- ^ "Fahadh Faasil is Abin in Varathan". The Times of India.
- ^ Hooli, Shekhar H. "Varathan review: Is Amal Neerad's Malayalam movie a 'free-make' of Straw Dogs?". Ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "Varathan Movie Review {3.5/5}: Critic Review of Varathan". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "Varathan Review: A blistering and immensely satisfying revenge thriller". Cinemaexpress.xom. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "Varathan Review: Fahadh Faasil Unleashes 'Exotic' Violence In This Thriller". silverscreen.in. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "Sreedhar Pillai on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "'Varathan' review: Fahadh and Aishwarya hold together an uneven thriller". Thenewsminute.com. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "FILM REVIEWS SACHIN CHATTE". Navhindtimes.in. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "Varathan Review: The Nice guy's Baptism by Fire - Filmcholy".
- ^ M. K., Surendhar (5 October 2018). "Devadas earns Rs 29 cr in four-day opening weekend; Fahadh Faasil's Varathan rakes in record breaking numbers". Firstpost. Retrieved 10 November 2018.