Yavarum Nalam (2009)

English translation: Everyone is well
Director: Vikram Kumar
Story: Vikram Kumar, Neelu Iyappan
Cast: R. Madhavan, Neetu Chandra, Sachin Khedekar 
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Tubby Parik
Time: 137 minutes
Bottom-line: Clever use of horror and supernatural elements

   There are two types of horror films: one category includes films like The Exorcist or The Omen, Saw, The Grudge etc. where all the film does is scare the hell out of you by showing lots of blood and other gross stuff. The second category contains films like Psycho, Shutter Island etc. which have some horror content, but where horror plays second fiddle to suspense and mystery thrills. Yavarum Nalam is one such Tamil film that falls in the second category.

Manohar (Madhavan) and his family have moved into a new flat, 13B. His family consists of his wife (Neetu Chandra), brother, his brother’s wife, daughter, son, and their mother. Manohar finds several things go wrong in the flat, but what is more shocking is that they go wrong only for him: photos of him taken from the phone are disfigured; the elevator doesn’t work if he goes alone, but works for others; the milk gets spoilt everyday; he is not able to hammer nails in the house… and so on. The three ladies in the house start watching a new serial on TV, called Yavaraum Nalam. One day, Manohar watches the serial, when the TV switches itself on. He sees, much to his shock, that the events in the serial exactly match the events that happen to him and his family. The family in the serial has moved into a new house, the family also has the same number of members… As days go by, he discovers that all the events in the serial, good or bad, take place in his family as well. As Manohar investigates further, he learns a shocking and explosive secret about the family in the serial… and he soon realizes that a horrible fate is approaching his family as well!

Madhavan as Manohar, and Meetu Chandra as
Priya, Manohar's wife

Making horror films in Tamil is a new approach, and I appreciate Vikram Kumar for attempting to make an unorthodox film. In the film, the story is a big plus point, and also a minus point. I am not a fan of supernatural elements, and I don’t really like any film that shows ghosts and stuff. Yet, this film was a different experience. Kumar has cleverly mixed horror and supernatural stuff into a fairly believable mystery thriller. One of the reasons why this film is unique is because there are no deviations: no comedy track, no unwanted fight etc. What starts out as a suspense film stays that way till the end.

Murli Sharma as Shiva

There are several clues in the film that help the viewers guess the ending. In that aspect, this is a loophole-free mystery, with the solution being perfect. The ‘connection’ between the criminal and the crime is given by the supernatural elements. Without them, the film would not have been able to provide a satisfactory conclusion. However, people do believe in ghosts, and you never know, maybe there are ghosts existing! So, don’t think that the ghosts and other stuff deviate the story.. they add to the entertainment.

The story begins like an ordinary family story, by showing some funny incidents related to Manohar’s family. Then, from the time Manohar watches the serial, the film quickly changes genres to a crime thriller. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy may be better known for their melodious songs, but here, in this film, they have composed a brilliant score. The score is suspenseful, chilling, and plays a key role in creating a spooky atmosphere in the film. The spooky atmosphere is also created by several camera angles and the facial expressions of especially Madhavan. The story is highly unrealistic, as I said, because it has several ghosts and stuff. Yet, by the film the film ends, you will most probably remember only a well-constructed mystery story, and not the supernatural add-ons. The suspense is terrific, and is well-maintained throughout the film.

From right: Manohar's mother (Saranya), his brother's wife
(Amitha Rajan), and Neetu Chandra

The horror content comes mainly from violence and lot of blood on the screen. Madhavan and Murli Sharma (who plays a friend of Manohar) have acted well, but no one else has really acted nicely. Acting has only a minor role in the film: mystery and horror take the spotlight. The ending is ambiguous, and this is very rare in Indian films, where usually a song or some celebration conclude the film. Till the last minute, everything goes according to plan, and then in the last ten seconds, literally, there is sudden twist, and the screen cuts to black. There is one song in the film, and that may the worst five minutes of the film. The film goes so well, and then bam, there is a useless song that takes the stage. Had this been cut, this film would have been better.

To conclude, Vikram Kumar’s Yavarum Nalam is a must-watch for any fan of thriller films. This is not the usual film where hero fights villain, loses, and rises back or anything (the so-called ‘adhiradi theraipadam’ in Tamil)… only suspense, mystery and horror give the thrills. Watch for the great, but sort of unrealistic, story and the score. The film will have an impact on all the people who have just moved into new flats, and all people who watch any serial in their homes.

My Rating: 3.5/5