Neelavelicham Movie Review: Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal and Roshan Mathew's 'Bhargavi Nilayam' Remake Praised For Its Performance and Visuals!

Director Aashiq Abu's latest film, Neelavelicham, is a modern day reimagination of the 1964 Malayalam film Bhargavi Nilayam. Both the films here are the adaptations of famous author Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's short story called Neelavelicham. Tovino Thomas plays a writer in Neelavelicham, the same role that Madhu played in Bhargavi Nilayam, that was inspired by Basheer himself. Rima plays Bhargavi, a ghost with an unfulfilled past, and Roshan Mathew plays Sasi, her lover who went missing and is thought to have cheated on her. Neelavelicham Song Anuraga Madhuchashakam: Rima Kallingal’s Vintage Look in This Classic Melody Is a Treat for Fans on Her Birthday.

The others in the cast include Shine Tom Chacko, Rajesh Madhavan and Chemban Vinod Jose. Neelavelicham has released in theatres on April 20, and the reviews are out. Most of the critics have praised the gorgeous visuals and the performances of the cast, though criticism has gone for the reasoning for the adaptation and the struggle to enliven it up for the modern-day viewer.

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Check Out What Major Publications are Saying About the Film:

Online Manorama says, "Neelavelicham falls in the category of romantic horror thrillers, and the makers have been able to do justice to the genre, for the most part. Though Basheer's ghost is revenge-seeking, the fear factor is limited to a few occurrences, which has been depicted well."

The Hindu says, "Neelavelicham provides an absorbing sensory experience, but the question of the need for a remake remains. Its biggest contribution would be to make a whole generation watch the original landmark film. And, of course, we could finally watch the blue radiance in blue, as Basheer saw it, rather than in black-and-white."

Lensmen Reviews says, "Aashiq Abu has tried to make this a tribute to Vaikom Muhammad Basheer by infusing elements from his classics like Mathilukal, Anuragathinte Dhinangal, etc. All those efforts and how they gave a great visual appeal to a black-and-white film justify their intention. But the inability to reinvent the old-school cheesiness in writing restricts the movie from being a compelling adaptation."

Times of India says, "Tovino delivers a grounded performance as the writer and Rima is good as Bhargavi. Roshan Mathew's Sasikumar is different and he delivers with grace. Shine Tom Chacko is spot on as Nanukuttan. The re-enactment of the age old romantic trope in Malayalam cinema, lovers conversing from opposite sides of a wall, was actually cute and not over done or over dramatized, though the dialogues in that part were a little too cheesy."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 20, 2023 09:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).