Avaham Movie Review

Behind the Movie Avaham: After the much hyped success of ‘Raksha,’ the Telugu remake version of Hindi ‘Phoonk;’ Ramgopal Varma, the director of frills and thrills comes back raising high interest on ‘Avaham’ which will not be the remake but the dubbed version of ‘Phoonk 2.’ Let us see, did Varma and his director Milind Gadagkar able to raise chill in our spine?

In the Movie Avaham: (If you clearly want to understand ‘Avaham,’ you need to know the climax of ‘Raksha’ where in the lady villain Madhu who does Black Magic on hero’s daughter Raksha is killed by hero with help of his friend and a tantrik). Hero Rajiv (Sudeep) along with his wife Aarthi (Amruta Khanvilkar), kids Rohan (Rahul Pendkalkar) and Raksha (Ahsaas Channa) move to an old beach house away from city in Alibaug, a thick forest. Rohan and Raksha playing in the forest find a pretty doll and bring it home.

Here start their fears as this doll is nothing but the dead soul of Madhu which enter Rajiv’s house to take the revenge. Same time Rajiv's sister Arushi (Neeru Singh) and her husband Ronnie (Amit Sadh) enter their home. After initial frightening with this scary doll, they through it away from the house but doll and soul don’t leave them.

At last it was Rajiv’s wife Aarthi’s body into which Madhu’s dead soul enters and start killing one by one in the house. First maid servant followed by watch man, next the old tantric and Rajiv’s friend who are killed. When Madhu’s soul goes for the last kill of Raksha after brutally screwing Arushi, Rajiv tries at a plan to save her child. What was that plan? Did it work out? form the climax part.

Values of the Movie Avaham: For all those who have seen ‘Raksha,’ this ‘Avaham’ will be nothing less than a comedy movie. Avaham has the same villain Madhu who tries to kill the family of Rajiv. In the first part she uses Black Magic while in this second she herself comes back as a ghost to seek revenge. It’s the same old formula of Indian horror films. Sounds by Jayesh Dhakkan and Jayant Vajpayee are scary at few moments while background music by Rahul Pandirkar is very loud and good in quality. Camera work by Charles Meher was moody and of course the remarkable aspect of the movie which raised the pulse very few times especially when black faced bhoot Madhu hangs upside down or catches the hand of Arushi. Direction wise Milind Gadagkar can be rated as below average as there was nothing new points in narration. It was again the same dogged formula which is normally followed in Varma factory. Production wise nothing high to mention about.

Performance wise Sudep was okay while Amrutha Khanvilkar has spread few chills with make up. Ahsaas Channa who outperformed every one in ‘Phoonk’ is a mere waste in this movie. Remaining others like Jeeva, Amit Sadh and Neeru Singh justified their roles.    

Out of the Movie Avaham: First things first, the basic formula of ‘Avaham’ is about a dead soul of Madhu entering the live woman Aarthi’s body and that is what we call ‘Avaham.’ When Jeeva, the tantric man fires away the doll (soul), how could the dead soul be still alive in Aarthi is a big confusion? If this is forgiven, then why can’t Madhu’s soul which hasn’t got its wish fulfilled approach some other body as Aarthi is dead in the climax. Plenty of blunders to discuss. One thing that sure needs a clarification from Varma is why does this useless family want to live away from the city and that too in a jungle? Why do characters in this movie move out of house and roam alone in the nights making themselves prey for bhoot. If first half was used to make the dead soul enter the body of Raksha's mother; it was second half where this bloody mother is on the kill.  Strictly speaking, ‘Avaham’ is more of failed camera gimmicks with music hiccups.


Cinejosh Verdict of the Movie Avaham: 2 hours ‘Ayasam.’       

                                                                                                                                   Reviewed by Srivaas

(Srivaas can be reached at srivaasreviews@gmail.com)