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Release
date:
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August 3, 2018
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Director:
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Rohith V.S.
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Cast:
Language:
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Asif Ali, Lal,
Madonna Sebastian, Siddique, Saiju Kurup, Adish Praveen, Sreenath Bhasi, Aju
Varghese
Malayalam
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What happens after
we die? The answer has fascinated religionists, philosophers, literateurs, ordinary
women and men for centuries, irrespective of what scientists say. The latest to
take up the matter is writer-director Rohith V.S. whose Iblis is about emotional connects from the afterwards.
When a man loves a
woman, when a child loves a parent, when subjects love a monarch, does the
force of that love have the power to hold the dead back among the living? Rohith
examines the question in this film for which he has authored the story while
Sameer Abdul has written the screenplay and dialogues. To establish the theory
they propound, the two take us to an obscure place in Kerala where most adults
are in fancy dress, death shadows the residents and there is constant talk of akkara (the other side) and ikkara (this side).
In this fantastical
village lives Vyshakhan who has been pre-occupied since his childhood with the
mystery of where human beings disappear when their last breath ebbs out of
their bodies. Having bombarded his grandfather Shreedharan (Lal) with questions
for years, Vyshakhan (Asif Ali) retains his fascination for the subject into
his adulthood. In another sphere of his life, the young man moons over the lovely
Fida (Madonna Sebastian), his childhood friend who is now the object of his
unrequited love. Also in the picture is Jabbar (played by Siddique), an
inveterate liar who claims to have a connection with the dead though he does
not.
Large parts of the
village look like something out of The
Arabian Nights, and colourful puppets are a permanent fixture in the
background. These attractive accoutrements are not sufficient to hold up Iblis though, weighed down as it is by
its scattered screenplay.
Clearly Rohith is
charismatic enough to rope in a bunch of capable actors, established and new,
for Iblis (including the arresting young
Madonna Sebastian from Premam), and
he has the ability to inspire these artistes to throw themselves into their
performances with gusto. Lal in particular rises above the weak writing, as
Bhavana did in Rohith’s first directorial venture released last year. However,
as with that one – Adventures of Omanakuttan, also starring Asif Ali – in this one too it
is apparent that he has struggled to flesh out what was an essentially
interesting idea.
“I wasn’t there that
morning / When my Father passed away / I didn’t get to tell him / All the things
I had to say… …I just wish I could have told him, in the living years,” goes
the song from the English pop group Mike + the Mechanics that has resonated
with listeners across the world since its release in the 1980s. We often hear
people express remorse for not having conveyed their true feelings to a loved
one in her/his lifetime. The Living Years was a note of regret from a son mourning a father who is no more. But what if
you realise you love someone only when they are gone? Alternatively, is it
possible to develop feelings for a
person after they pass away? And if so, is it too late for you? These questions
raised by one character’s journey in Iblis
are fascinating.
The thoughtful
concept and the unexpected moments of humour in the narrative (such as in Aju
Varghese’s minuscule but striking cameo) suggest that some day Rohith might write
and direct a good film. That day is not here yet though. Iblis could have been a neat little children’s fantasy comedy with
appeal for adults too. Sadly, the inability to expand a smart idea into an
effective screenplay ensures that this film fails to lift off at all.
Rating
(out of five stars): 1/2
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CBFC Rating (India):
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U
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Running time:
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2 hours
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A version of this review has also been published on Firstpost:
Visuals
courtesy: https://www.facebook.com/IblisMovie/
