Urvashi was in one of the best films of 2024 — and one of the best Malayalam films of all time. In “Ullozhukku”, Parvathy Thiruvothu shared the screen with the veteran in an exceptionally complementary role. The film was dominated by their dynamic and fetched plenty of accolades. So, it's cool to

Urvashi was in one of the best films of 2024 — and one of the best Malayalam films of all time. In “Ullozhukku”, Parvathy Thiruvothu shared the screen with the veteran in an exceptionally complementary role. The film was dominated by their dynamic and fetched plenty of accolades. So, it's cool to

Urvashi was in one of the best films of 2024 — and one of the best Malayalam films of all time. In “Ullozhukku”, Parvathy Thiruvothu shared the screen with the veteran in an exceptionally complementary role. The film was dominated by their dynamic and fetched plenty of accolades. So, it's cool to

Urvashi was in one of the best films of 2024 — and one of the best Malayalam films of all time. In “Ullozhukku”, Parvathy Thiruvothu shared the screen with the veteran in an exceptionally complementary role. The film was dominated by their dynamic and fetched plenty of accolades. So, it's cool to see the two of them having individual releases running side by side in Kerala, to packed houses. Urvashi with “Aasha”. Parvathy with “Pradhama Drishtya Kuttakkar”. Who said female-centric films cannot bring in audiences? You write a strong, emotion-backed script — preferably a thriller — and you'll see audiences rushing to see it. It's only been two days, and the booking surge for both films is unbelievable. 

Interestingly, both films are driven by a common emotion and similar circumstances. I won't spoil it for you. “Aasha”, just like the Parvathy film, is loaded with surprises. It flips the good/bad person narrative in a way we have not seen before. Urvashi, as the titular character, is a joy to witness, even though her character isn't exactly comfortable to watch. Some of the film’s characters, starting with her younger daughter, played by Aishwarya Lekshmi (who is very good here), share this discomfort. (Gifted sound designer Ajayan Adat plays her boyfriend.) Aasha has an elder daughter living in the UAE with her hubby. But she only has to deal with her possessive mother through the smartphone screen whenever she calls. And this “whenever” is basically more than 5 times, we are told by the younger one, who, unfortunately, has to see her mother every day on account of the unfortunate fact that she is living with her. 

The film neatly establishes Aasha as a cantankerous woman prone to sudden outbursts. She makes a scene at a bank following an employee’s unsatisfactory reaction. Interestingly, no one at the bank takes out their phone to record her drama. “Aasha” features Lijo Jose Pellissery's frequent collaborator, cinematographer Madhu Neelakandan, capturing this high-intensity film. The source of this intensity, as I said earlier, is Urvashi herself. Immediately after watching the film, I wrote a brief social media note where I referred to Urvashi as the “Meryl Streep of Malayalam cinema.” One friend suggested “Indian cinema”, and I'm inclined to agree, because when I really think about it, I realise that even some of the most celebrated 'serious' Indian actresses, usually associated with 'serious' cinema, have gone over to the other side, appearing in big-budget entertainers that don’t offer any intellectual stimulation. I wouldn't blame them. Perhaps I would've done the same thing if I were in their shoes. Urvashi, on the other hand, has no qualms about appearing in smaller, performance-driven films, even if helmed by a newcomer.

“Aasha”, just like “Pradhama Drishtya Kuttakkar”, marks the big break of a newcomer director. Before switching to direction, Safar Sanal did some experimental projects that didn't make any waves. In “Aasha”, Safar directs not only Urvashi but also the imposing Joju George, with the deftness of a seasoned filmmaker. It reminded me of what a 22-year-old Steven Spielberg managed to achieve, with Joan Crawford in “Eyes”, a segment of the anthology “Night Gallery”. Urvashi is almost the same age as Crawford now. Now that I think about it, calling Urvashi the “Joan Crawford” of Malayalam cinema is also perfectly fitting, because both are virtuoso talents with a penchant for pulling off any role, right from their younger days. (Meryl Streep is the most popular choice. Had more people watched Crawford — and black-and-white films for that matter — I would've mentioned her instead.) 

Safar had previously worked with Joju in “Peace”, a wacky hyperlink dark comedy which Safar co-wrote. There, Joju was the actor. In “Aasha”, Joju also did double duty as the film's co-writer with Safar and Ramesh Girija. So, yes, men can write interesting female characters, too. Unfortunately, most male filmmakers don't put in the same effort. “Aasha” has not just one but several instances where Urvashi basically puts up an acting masterclass, with an incredible range of emotions that further establish her as a performer with no parallels. I'm not going to tell you what or how Joju's character is in this film, because that's part of the surprise package the film offers. But I can tell you that it's a side of Joju we haven't seen before.

Without giving anything away, in a nutshell, “Aasha” presents a succession of events triggered by an incident that could've been handled more calmly. One could call it a cautionary tale because, after all, it shows how bad life can get if you surrender to your negative impulses, without exploring all angles and doing a thorough background check. The film successfully plants the seed of a certain idea in our minds, and it's easy to fall for it because that has been, traditionally, the path that most filmmakers take when writing thrillers involving two individuals. But “Aasha” flips that narrative on its head and alters our perspective after a certain point. What I found most surprising about this 'dark' film is the presence of dark humour in places we don't expect to find it. In the theatre I went to, many of us, including myself, cracked up audibly at certain interactions involving Urvashi and Joju. As I said, that's what happens when two unlikely individuals meet. I'm not sure I love the ending, even though I saw it coming. It felt abrupt. 

I also feel a sense of incompletion when reflecting on the film as a whole. Since someone's troubled psychological state is a key element, I didn't think that one scene where three characters sit and talk about Aasha's character and her past was sufficient, as far as the moral dilemmas are concerned. But this ending admittedly suggests some interesting possibilities concerning the character's past, and perhaps the makers wanted a separate movie playing in our heads instead once this was over.

Film: Aasha

Director: Safar Sanal

Cast: Urvashi, Joju George, Vijayaraghavan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joy Mathew

Rating: 4/5

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