Athiradi TamilYogi – Movie Review: Typical college campus movies build their case on reusing old nostalgia, on great humor and on feeling-good flashbacks. While Athiradi messes with all those recognizable beats, it’s still an actual fun. Much of that credit goes to the two completely different screen energies of Basil Joseph and Tovino Thomas, which make even predictable scenes alive. Basil is sensational with his timing and Tovino is an explosive force, his swagger, attitude and chaotic charisma giving the film constant entertainment value.
Director Basil Joseph is well aware of the feelings of students towards campus culturals, competition and late night rehearsals! That’s the best part of the film. The screenplay falters in many places in the second half, but Athiradi manages to come up with enough laughter, nostalgia and celebratory energy to make it a fun one time theatrical viewing.
I was supposed to watch Karuppu today, as it was said to be in financial trouble, but I decided to watch Athiradi since I didn’t want to wait. That turnabout was an out-of-the-blue one, but it was quite a fun theatre experience.
This story is based on a college cultural festival and a tragic incident related to this festival. A girl dies in a terrible accident on one of the college’s events, changing the dynamics inside the college altogether. It will not be for years that there will be any major celebrations or cultural programmes again.
Basil Joseph’s character is a student who still has a melancholy memory of that incident. At this time, even as he crossed his fourth year, he still does not want to leave the campus with only one aim in mind to revive the cultural spirit of the college and make something out of her memory. But his plans are put on a halt when Tovino Thomas comes into the picture, causing conflicts that propel the rest of the story.
The first section immediately gives an appropriate tone. The intro block is full of energy, colour and always entertaining. The movie’s tone is youthful and frenzied, the atmosphere of college life being captured from the start. Basil Joseph and Tovino Thomas are well introduced and developed. Despite the familiarity of the format, the first half is always very interesting.
The show’s novelty is that it is the same Basil Joseph, proving once again his ease at playing comedy characters. His facial expressions alone create a number of laugh-out-loud moments. He plays a pivotal role in the movie’s comic timing and reactions, and he is very good at it. Many of the scenes which work have to do with the way he reacts to the punchlines, rather than the punchlines themselves. That easy charm continues to help keep the film alive despite some below par moments.
The film has a completely different taste to it thanks to Tovino Thomas. He has as many loud and eccentric character as in Aavesham, but Athiradi doesn’t seem like a carbon copy. Tovino does his styling, body language, delivery of dialogue and characterization well. His screen presence is so intertwined in several scenes that it doesn’t give anybody a hard time.
I had a lot of fun in the second half, with the conversations between his character and Vineeth Sreenivasan. Those moments flow into a balance of humour and emotion. The climactic fighting scenes also provide Tovino with adequate space to fight stylishly without becoming too over the top.
The biggest plus about the film is the entertainment level. The images of campus life, friendships, rehearsals and cultural activities evoke a sense of the past, resonating with the memories of many college students. If one has actively taken part in college culturals, one can find a few moments to resonate with them. The emotional familiarity is one of the film’s greatest strengths.
The cameos and bit parts are also great. With little screen time Vineeth Sreenivasan makes a big impression. The addition of Shane Nigam in the film also brings some thrills to the Malayalam film industry. Luckily, these cameos don’t feel like an obligation made for fan service and easily fit into the story.
The other outstanding aspect is the background score by Vishnu Vijay. Music is always used to enhance emotions and celebratory moments. In some cases, however, the score is a little too over-the-top, as music rolls on too long in too many scenes. Some silences would have helped some of the emotional beats. Despite this, the film’s soundtrack does a great job of keeping the film’s energy level.
Athiradi is quite weak in the second half. There are points after which the momentum is not consistent. The first half is rather fluid, with moments of humour, but the second half is a bit extended and repetitive. There are several things that can be easily foreseen and the storyline is unlikely to come as much of a shock.
The writers were able to delve into new concepts and more creative scenarios. Some emotional problems required more elaboration, and some comedies are offered at the same level as before because of their repetitions. The film nevertheless recovers quite decently in the final stretch, however. The climax is suitably arranged and the audience is left with satisfaction.
Not always the story, but the atmosphere was what stayed with me after the film. All of the college, cultural festival, friendships, rivalries, and nostalgic emotions evoke that comfortable feeling. Athiradi does not have to form a new formula for campus entertainers, but it certainly knows what kinds of audiences it wants to please. The film has a high chance of resonating for the college-going audience due to its relatable situation and celebratory tone.
Overall, Athiradi is a pedestrian one time watch, powered, at least in part, by fun performances and a youthful cast. Basil Joseph provides a lot of the fun, Tovino Thomas has a powerful performance and the movie has plenty of fun to keep it interesting even with its formulaic writing. It would have been a much more memorable second half if it was tighter and fresher, but as a light campus entertainer, it does its job pretty well.
Rating: 3/5
