Aarambham - A brave attempt

 

Movie: Aarambham
Rating: 3/5

Cast:  Mohan Bhagath, Supritha Satyanarayan, Surabhi Prabhavathi, Bhushana Kalyan, Ravindra Vijay and others

Director: Ajay Nag
Produced By: Abhishek V Tirumalesh

Release Date: 10th May 2024

Story:

The movie kicks off with a thrilling prison escape sequence. Miguel (Mohan Bhagath), prisoner number 299, mysteriously disappears from his cell, leaving no trace. Detectives Chaitanya (Ravindra Vijay) and Madhav (Abhishek Boddepalli) are called in to assist in the investigation. Their only leads are Miguel's diary and the information provided by fellow inmate Ganesh (Laxman Meesala). As the pressure to solve the prison break mounts, the story turns into science fiction, challenging the detectives to understand a new reality to uncover the truth.

Performances:

Mohan Bhagath delivers a compelling performance as Miguel, capturing the character's innocence and curiosity with sincerity. His portrayal stands out among the cast and leaves a lasting impression. Supritha Satyanarayan and Surabhi Prabhavathi also deliver solid performances, while Bhushana Kalyan, Ravindra Vijay, and the rest of the cast hold their own. 

What Worked For The Film:

The significance of the movie's title, Aarambham (beginning), and its adaptation from the Kannada book Neenu Ninnolage Khaidi (I am a prisoner like You by Anush A Shetty) gradually seeps into the narrative, leaving an impact during the latter part of the film, following a series of unexpected revelations. The narrative explores the concepts of déjà vu, infinity, and traveling in a loop to simplify a scientific experiment. The story is divided into eight chapters, gradually unveiling surprises in the later sections. The concluding phase offers resolutions to numerous inquiries, particularly those related to a prison escape, and proves gratifying.

The narrative further delves into the concept of unchangeable destiny while highlighting the potential for increased empathy and creating positive memories with our family members/loved ones if opportunities arise. The scenes related to the above-mentioned emotion, focusing on the two main characters, work well for the film in the second half. 

What Did Not Work For The Film:

The lack of established reasoning behind Rao's science experiment diminishes its appeal over time. Although Rao's old scar is mentioned, it fails to evoke sufficient interest. Furthermore, details regarding Rao and his aspirations for successfully completing the experiment are lacking. As said above, the movie's latter half and especially the last 30 minutes are successful, but the build-up to this point could have been stronger. Debut director Ajay Nag's film has many strengths, including the unique perspective he and his technical team bring to a sci-fi drama set in a charming village, breaking away from traditional clichés. However, some sequences demand a more attentive viewing, as the ideas/intentions behind them do not translate as they should have been

Aarambham Review And Verdict:

Aarambham is a nice experiment by debutant filmmaker Ajay Nag, who did not hesitate to break the conventional cliches. Nevertheless, the narrative could have been more effective in providing the desired effect. Mohan Bhagath's performance was impressive, while Supritha Satyanarayan, Surabhi Prabhavathi, and Bhushana Kalyan were appropriate. The visuals and background score add to the film's depth.