A nonetheless from ‘Avihitham’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The easiest of tales, even the seemingly unappealing ones, can flip into pretty participating items of cinema as soon as it will get into the precise fingers. In Avihitham, filmmaker Senna Hegde, who co-wrote the movie with Ambareesh Kalathera, doesn’t have an elaborate story to inform, however teases out a number of strands out of it to drag off one thing which retains one engaged.

Avihitham revolves across the sort of hearsay so frequent in village squares previously and in on-line areas nowadays. A jobless man on one more pointless night jaunt possibilities upon a secret assembly between two neighbours, solely considered one of whose faces is seen. As idle minds are certain to do typically, the person quickly will get into motion to determine the folks concerned within the obvious illicit affair and entice them.

Avihitham (Malayalam)

Director: Senna Hegde

Cast: Unni Raja, Renji Kankol, Vrinda Menon, Vineeth Chakyar, Rakesh Ushar, Dhanesh Koliyat

Runtime: 105 minutes

Storyline: When the hearsay of a bootleg affair spreads in a village, a bunch of judgemental souls come collectively to hatch a plan

At first look, one wonders whether or not this story will be expanded past the bounds of a brief movie, however Hegde has different concepts, tapping into his innate aptitude for creating characters with standout identities and for humorous conversations. The hearsay that begins floating round, takes a lifetime of its personal. The movie nor the characters of that small village lose focus from it, managing to drag us alongside on this journey that turns into an indictment of the prying and judgemental eyes and ears that are a part of each neighborhood.

The shock factor within the film partly hinges on the identification of the opposite particular person concerned within the affair, however it’s pretty predictable as to who it may not be. Yet, the success of the screenplay is in turning the gaze to the opposite aspect, of how the neighborhood across the couple reacts to it with an elaborate plan of motion, full with a blueprint akin to a navy operation. The operation includes even a makeshift watchtower on prime of the village water tank. The filmmaker at no level seems to have lofty targets, however on the similar time is clear-sighted in utilizing the assets at his disposal, be it the thread-bare story or the set of proficient actors, to the optimum.

Hegde had turned ‘Made in Kanhangad’, a branding he made for his motion pictures set in Kanhangad city, right into a promise for humorous and interesting narratives, with movies like Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam and1744 White Alto. These movies with none huge stars discovered their viewers simply with the energy of the writing and the craft. However, he didn’t fairly handle to hit the mark together with his earlier movie Padmini, which by the way was not made or set in Kanhangad. In Avihitham, which doesn’t have any huge star and is propelled by the energy of its narrative, Hegde returns to his roots and type of rediscovers his ‘indie’ mojo.

Avihitham is presently operating in cinemas

Published – October 10, 2025 06:09 pm IST