‘Ajayante Randam Moshanam’ (ARM) movie review: Tovino Thomas carries this visually impressive drama, despite underwhelming writing

ARM movie review: Despite the underwhelming writing, director Jithin Laal gives us a hint of his craft with a visually impressive drama, and the film belongs to Tovino

Lineage lies at the core of debutant Jithin Laal’s Ajayante Randam Moshanam (ARM). It sticks on to characters in the film, some of whom proudly carry it while others attempt to escape the negativity associated with their ancestry. For Ajayan (Tovino Thomas), it is a mixed bag as his great-grandfather Kunjikelu was a famed warrior but his grandfather Maniyan was branded a thief in their village, a shame which could soon fall on him too in the place which wears its casteism on its sleeve.

Screenwriter Sujith Nambiar ties in fantasy elements to this very real world story with folktale overtones. All the fantasy is built around an elaborate lamp, made out of precious metal from a meteor crash, which is assumed to have magical powers to bring prosperity to whoever possesses it. Inextricably linked to the lamp are Ajayan’s two ancestors (all played by Tovino) and his own fate in the present time.

In this well laid-out premise rich in folklore, Laal had a wealth of material for world building and he uses it to good effect, breezing through the history of the brave ancestors and settling in the present, where Ajayan is just an ordinary electrician, operating a ham radio at home to talk clandestinely to his girlfriend Lekshmi (Krithi Shetty). These initial phases work well, as one can sense the coming together of a compelling narrative with considerable payoffs at a later juncture.

One of the well-written sequences during this phase happens when the police walk into Ajayan’s home as he teaches Constitutional Rights to kids, and his mother’s expression of disappointment in him leads to a scene from the past, which informs the present. The film for a good part manages to strike a balance between the real and fantasy elements, which lends a believable quality to even some of the fantastical situations. But, somewhere in the middle, the plot begins to falter as the writer fails to build on the premise and chooses to travel along familiar paths. Although an attempt was made to bring in an interesting subtext about monarchy and democracy, characters explicitly stating it somehow reduced the effect.

Jomon T. John’s striking visuals complement the visual effects well in delivering some stunning sequences, which are all the more remarkable considering the relatively small budget of the film, a fraction of some of the “pan-India” projects. Some of the imagery leaves one wishing for more, but for the genre the movie belongs to, there is no dearth of set pieces that would leave one amazed.

Tovino Thomas carries the film, bringing in distinct gestures and traits to the three characters in the different timelines. He puts in the kind of effort, especially as Maniyan, which elevates the film from the level of a mere costume drama. Krithi Shetty does not have much of a role to perform, but Surabhi Lakshmi, as Maniyan’s wife Manikyam, leaves an impression in the short role that she gets. In fact, most of the other characters, except perhaps Basil Joseph’s friend character, seem underdeveloped.

Despite the underwhelming writing, Jithin Laal gives us a hint of his craft with a visually impressive drama. And yes, the film belongs to Tovino.