Remakes of films are usually inspired by a filmmaker’s deep affection for the original or a desire to improve it. However, most remakes in India are the result of someone’s ravenous desire for money. They are re-releases that no one requested.
Bhramam is a Malayalam version of AndhaDhun, which was released in Bollywood in 2018. Prithviraj Sukumaran, Unni Mukundan, Mamta Mohandas, Raashi Khanna, and Shankar Panicker star in Ravi K Chandran’s film, which was directed by him. Amazon Prime Video has Bhramam available for streaming.
Ravi K Chandran, a renowned cinematographer, directs his second feature film, Bhramam (after Tamil film Yaan). Even though he wasn’t involved in the making of AndhaDhun, it’s comparatively visible he was blown away by Sriram Raghavan’s flick. This is something I’m sure we can all comply with.
His wish to adapt it in Malayalam for local audiences is understandable, however, there is a problem that Indian filmmakers are unaware of. Bhramam’s target audience would primarily be young, urbane people who have previously seen AndhaDhun. You’re only inviting unnecessary comparisons unless you’re improving on the original.
Bhramam, on the other hand, has nothing exceptional going for it. It’s a pretty faithful reproduction, just like Maestro, however, as previously stated, a Telugu remake, no matter how similar, can’t match the worth of the original.
To its credit, Bhramam attempts to do something different now and again. The first act, which involves a farmer attempting to put an end to an animal’s threat, is somewhat expanded to accommodate an appearance from Shine. Tom Chacko replaced the blind hare with a boar for no apparent reason. Given that boars cause more damage to Kerala fields than hares, I believe this is a wise regional decision.
The performances are a bit of a jumble. Prithviraj Sukumaran, an otherwise capable actor, is straining to get into the skin of the character; he just couldn’t capture the cheeky energy that Ayushmann Khurrana imparted in the role, and he feels miscast, save for a few sad passages in the second half. Raashi Khanna doesn’t receive much screen time, but the dubbing she gets is good. In several places, Unni Mukundan is stiff. As the kidney-smuggling doctor, Jagadeesh is fine.
