Asha Black
| Asha Black / Nee Naan Nizhal | |
|---|---|
 Malayalam poster | |
| Directed by | John Robinson |
| Written by | John Robinson |
| Screenplay by | John Robinson Santhosh Laxman |
| Story by | John Robinson |
| Produced by | Bindhu John Varghese |
| Starring | R. Sarathkumar Ishitha Chauhan Arjun Lal |
| Cinematography | Alby |
| Edited by | Nikil Venu |
| Music by | Jecin George |
Production company | Nimita Productions |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Languages | Malayalam Tamil |
Asha Black is a 2014 Malayalam thriller film written and directed by John Robinson in his directorial debut and produced by Bindhu John Varghese. It was simultaneously shot in Tamil as Nee Naan Nizhal (transl. You, me and the shadow).[1] The film stars R. Sarathkumar and Arjun Lal, while Ishitha Chauhan plays the titular character. Manoj K. Jayan, Devan, and Krishnabhaskar Mangalasserri play supporting roles. The music was composed by Jecin George with cinematography by Alby and editing by Nikil Venu. The film released on 10 October 2014.
The film deals with the dark alleys of the World Wide Web, showing how the unmonitored use of the Internet by young adults can make them prey to predators who supply pornographic material and how neglected children become victims of sexual abuse.
Plot
[edit]Five people of Indian origin are killed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, within a short period of time. At first, the attacks are believed to be racially motivated, but investigating officer Anwar Ali, a Tamilian of Indian origin, feels that there are no grounds for that claim. He and his team find a common factor among the victims on Facebook: they all had a mutual friend called "Asha Black". Asha is a 17-year-old girl addicted to making online friends and chatting with them 24/7.
When an online romance blooms between "Asha Black" and Coimbatore-based young musician, Rohit, Rohit decides to go to Kuala Lumpur to meet her on her 18th birthday. With the help of a taxi driver Senthilnathan, he reaches Asha's house, but unfortunately, she has committed suicide. Then, it is revealed that Asha was a victim of sexual abuse through Facebook, and she is addicted to it because her parents have no time to spend with her. Enraged, Rohit, with the help of Senthilnathan, kills Asha's tormentors and finally kills a security guard who sexually abused Asha when she was a young girl in school, and this news was abandoned by her own parents to safeguard their reputation. Anwar tracks down Rohit with all evidence and arrests him but silently praises his killings. The film ends with Anwar realizing how parents' care and attention is important to children stopping them from getting addicted to bad habits and discusses with his daughter to how to spend their weekend.
Cast
[edit]- R. Sarathkumar as Anwar Ali, Assistant Superintendent of Police
- Arjun Lal as Rohit
- Ishitha Chauhan as Asha Srinivas (Asha Black)
- Manoj K. Jayan as Senthil Nathan
- Devan as Srinivas
- Krishnabhaskar Mangalasserri as Police officer Ram
- Anjali Aneesh Upasana
- Bhagath Manuel as Sidhu
- Pandi as Pandi
- Fathima Babu as Rohit's mother
- Rizabawa as Rohit's father
- Karthik Das as Rohit's friend
- Tamil version
- R. Sarathkumar as Anwar Ali, Assistant Superintendent of Police
- Ishita Chauhan as Nee Naan Srinivas (Nee Naan Nizhal)
- Manoj K. Jayan as Senthil Nathan
- Devan as Srinivas
- Pandi as Pandi
- Fathima Babu as Rohit's mother
- M. S. Bhaskar as Thambiannan
- Kadhal Arun Kumar
Production
[edit]The team shot scenes in Kerala and Malaysia in September 2013, with debutant director John Robinson revealing that the plot would revolve around the dangers of social networks.[2] Arjun Lal, previously seen as a child/teenage artiste in Thanmathra (2005), made a comeback in a leading role. Though he played just a supporting role, the film used Sarath Kumar's presence to market the film extensively in both languages.[3] The Tamil version was initially titled Narumughai.[4]
Soundtrack
[edit]| Asha Black | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 10 May 2014 |
| Recorded | 2014 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Length | 25:52 |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Label | Manorama Music |
| Producer | Jecin George |
The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Jecin George. Song lyrics were written by Din Nath Puthanchery and Jecin George. The audio release of the film was held on May 10, 2014.
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Neermizhiyil Peeythozhiyaa" | Vijay Yesudas | 5:26 |
| 2. | "Ningade Naatil" | Jecin George | 4:39 |
| 3. | "Manjayi Peytha Ninne" | Sachin Warrier | 5:26 |
| 4. | "Nannawoola (Remix)" | Jecin George, Niranj Suresh,Ribin Richard | 4:23 |
| 5. | "Asha Black Theme (feat. Trancis Xavier)" | Jecin George, Trancis Xavier, Cochin Strings | 3:16 |
Release
[edit]The Malayalam and Tamil versions opened simultaneously on 10 October 2014.[5][6] A critic from The Hindu concluded, "It’s a weird love story and a crime thriller — and its big problem is that it can’t balance both".[7][8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Nee Naan Nizhal Movie Review". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ George, Vijay (19 September 2013). "On Location: Asha Black — the social network". The Hindu.
- ^ "Review: Asha Black is boring and insipid".
- ^ Jonnalagedda, Pranita (27 March 2014). "Malayali girl with Delhi spin into Telugu cinema". The Hans India.
- ^ "'Asha Black' Review Roundup: Crime Thriller Gets Average Reviews from Critics". International Business Times. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "Asha Black Movie Review". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ Baradwaj Rangan (10 October 2014). "Nee Naan Nizhal: Shadow play". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "Nee Naan Nizhal Review: Well-Intentioned". Silverscreen.in. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
External links
[edit]- "Trying her luck down south". Deccan Chronicle. 6 October 2014.