Official Trailer:
Director Rahul Sadasivan in his debut movie Bhoothakalam made us sit up and take notice of him. Bhoothakalam is a well-made horror genre movie that kept us guessing whether the protagonists are hallucinating because of their state of mind or encountering supernatural powers. Rahul Sadavisan scores another ace with his second outing Brahmayugam. I would say he is one of the handful of directors from Kollywood and Mollywood who understand well the horror genre. Brahmayugam is a brilliant folklore horror set in 17th century Kerala that captivates its viewers with its black and white visual storytelling. It explores human greed, power, corruption, and caste discrimination in a horror framework 😱
In 17th century Kerala, where Tantra and Maya held sway, Thevan, a novice singer from Pannan caste of folk singers, runs away from slavery with his friend Kora in a thick forest. At night Kora is dragged away by Yakshi. As Thevan continues his fleeing, he stumbles upon an eerie mansion. The owner of the mansion, Kodumon Potti offers shelter to him. Little does Thevan knows that he has walked straight into the lap of Potti who does not let go off his guests easily. Potti controls their freedom and fate. Who is this Potti and how he became so powerful? What is the price does one have to pay to gain their freedom from the clutches of Potti? Can Thevan trust the servant who is the only other soul in the mansion? Brahmayugam answers these questions in a layered narrative that holds you from the get go to the final mind bending closure.
What sets the movie apart is how it immerses the audiences deeply among the characters. Like Death and maiden, Brahmayugam revolves tightly around three characters (there are few more characters who appear for less duration, may be for minutes). Movie starts slowly taking the time to build the characters but maintains the mystery quotient about the mansion and the occupants and gives a great payoff in the third act. Background score by Christo Xavier and cinematography by Shehnad Jalal creates a haunting atmosphere that elevates the immersive feeling. Stellar performances by Mamootty (Kodumon Potti), Arjun Ashokan (Thevan), and Sidharth Bharathan (Servant) enhance the impact. With only 3 dhotis and 1 mundu, this will be one of the movies with lowest budget for costume design 😁