Achayans (2017) Malayalam Movie Review by Veeyen

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This isn’t the first time that we have seen men acting like juvenile boys  in Malayalam cinema, and it certainly won’t be the last. But what does one do, when a film cannot even make a respectable use of the clichés that have been garnered from all around?


 Achayans-Malayalam-Review-Veeyen

Kannan Thamarakkulam in his third film ‘Achayans’ redefines blandness and crafts a film that is neither feral nor funny, while aspiring to be both. The kind of film that could wreak havoc on your peaceful weekend, ‘Achayans’ is one life-size ball of chaos that hits you straight on your unsuspecting face.

Here are four men, Roy (Jayaram), Tony (Unni Mukundan), Aby (Adil Ibrahim) and Rafi (Sanju Shivram), who have developed a penchant for trouble, and who during one of their pointless jaunts run into two girls Rita (Amala Paul) and Prayaga (Anu Sitara). One thing  leads to another, and soon there is a corpse lying around; not much of a pretty scenario for the men!

 Achayans-Malayalam-Review-VeeyenSethu’s script is lined with every single incident that you could spot a kilometer away, and the comedic sequences are peppered all along. It goes without saying that whether you find them witty would entirely depend on how fragile or robust your funny nerves are, and also on how accommodating you could be when it comes to inflated humor.

One has to agree that it perhaps would be ridiculous to expect a film as this to flash a classy narrative, but the least that a viewer would hope for, is some decent amusement, if not anything else. ‘Achayans’ pulls the bar low, when it comes to the entertainment quotient as well, and looks like a bankrupt cousin of some comparable films, that have at least had a decent run at the box office!

 Achayans-Malayalam-Review-VeeyenThe men in ‘Achayans’ breathe wine and women, and it goes without saying that there is no sublimity in sight. The sheer indolence and lack of inventiveness is apparent throughout, and as the film swings between being a comedy and thriller, a deadly cloud of repellent familiarity continues to hang over.

This isn’t the first time that we have seen men acting like juvenile boys  in Malayalam cinema, and it certainly won’t be the last. But what does one do, when a film cannot even make a respectable use of the clichés that have been garnered from all around?

‘Achayans’ latches on to Prakash Raj when the actor finally makes an appearance, almost as if knowing fully well that he is the sole actor who could bring in some poise to the proceedings. Prakash sets about his task of salvaging the scenes that he finds himself in, and ends up being the knight in shining armor for ‘Achayans’.

 Achayans-Malayalam-Review-VeeyenThat chic, hoary hairdo that Jayaram sports in the film does not make his character any less silly, and Unni Mukundan is wasted in yet another insignificant role. Adil and Sanju try desperately to generate some life, but in vain. The girls are no better either, and despite all their solemn efforts, give in to the triteness of what they have been offered.

Be ready to be drowned in an ocean of stale muck, and nothing is gonna help you keep your head above the water in this cringing piece of cinema. I wouldn’t even ask you to leave your brains back home this time around, since damn it, your brains don’t deserve to be left all alone every time a corny movie as this comes along.


Verdict: Below Average