Shortly before the release of Bramayugam, its lead actor, Mammootty, made an unusual appeal to the viewers – that they should watch the movie with an open mind, without any preconceived notions and refrain from anticipating the emotions it is going to elicit as these may affect the viewing experience when predictions come true. True to his words, Bramayugam defies all expectations of a period movie and emerges as a timeless saga of human oppression and subjugation in a feudal society of 17-18th century Kerala, says Syed Sabihur Rahman. He also reflects upon the variegated nature of recent movies of Mammootty, who has emerged as one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema even at the age of 72.
Since the beginning of time, man has oppressed those condemned to exist under his authority. Even today, with democracy having replaced colonial rule and monarchy in several regions of the world, almost every elected leader ends up being deaf to the travails of those under his watch and exploits those who put their faith in him as brutally as the erstwhile marauding colonialists.
Rahul Sadasivan’s black-and-white horror, Bramayugam (The Age of Madness) drives the above point home emphatically. Mammootty is an ageless Kodumon Potti, the lord of a decadent palatial mansion hidden deep inside a forest. Into that mansion wanders Thevan, a low-caste singer running away from the clutches of slavery. The only other person present in the mansion is a cook, who tells Thevan that no one who has stepped into the gates of the mansion has ever managed to leave.
The dark truths and horrors concealed inside the multiple chambers of the labyrinthine mansion in Bramayugam unfold slowly, driving Thevan to the edge of madness. Rightly so, as Kodumon Potti thunders and reveals that this is Bramayugam, the age of madness, the darkest period of Kali-yug when no God will pay heed to the cries of his followers. Rahul Sadasivan shares the writing credits with T. D. Ramakrishnan who has penned the dialogues for Bramayugam.
The central theme around which Bramayugam revolves is the structure of caste. The narrative kicks off by portraying caste as a primordial instrument of oppression deeply ingrained among those higher up the order as well as those at the bottom. Thevan, a Paanan by birth, feels elated at having been accepted as a guest into a Mana, a traditional Kerala Brahmin house.
As the arc of his experiences inside the Mana transcends a morbid trajectory, he realises that he is entangled in a bigger web than before. He ends up being a pawn in the lust for dominion between the Mana’s current lord and his conniving aspirant successor.
Eventually, the modus operandi of oppression is proven to be insignificant. Irrespective of whether power is wielded through social status or the barrel of a gun, man will always oppress the disadvantaged. Though the events unfolding in the movie’s closing scene loosely establish the period as the 17th (or 18th) century, the story is timeless because of its universal theme of subjugation.
The slow burn in Bramayugam’s first half, where identities shift and the apparent turns into a mirage, paves the way for an earth-shattering climax reminiscent of Tumbbad. Comparisons of Bramayugam with Tumbbad are inevitable since they are both period horror dramas drawing inspiration from folklore and relying on atmospherics to create eerie settings in dilapidated, desolate locations.
However, Tumbbad drew out the original sin of ingrained greed from its panoply of characters while Bramayugam establishes that the corrupting decree of tyranny running the affairs of the world can be either inherited or snatched. Several commendable recent productions drawing from folklore to weave tales of horror have been released across the country. The most acclaimed among them are Kothanodi (Assamese, 2015), Tumbbad (Hindi, 2018), Lapachhapi (Marathi, 2017), Bulbbul (Hindi, 2020), and Kantara (Kannada, 2022).
Mammootty shows the way
When Mohanlal and Rajinikanth have been reduced to caricatures fumbling around with poor cinematic choices, Mammootty is busy producing a monumental body of work.
In just the last 2 years, Mammootty has simmered in the thrillers Puzhu and Rorschach, sparkled in Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakaam as a Malayali tourist possessed by a Tamilian, packed a punch in the action fest Kannur Squad and earned accolades as a husband accused by his wife of homosexuality in Kaathal - The Core.
What does this man eat? Perhaps the magical grains scattered in the granaries of his mansion in Bramayugam. No ordinary human can be deemed capable of bringing to life the broad range of characters encompassing the huge canvas of various languages, dictions, appearances and mannerisms that Mammootty is achieving with aplomb.
Mammookka (the moniker awarded to Mammootty by his fans) has completed 5 decades in cinema, but in his current phase, he is being hailed as the best Mammootty ever.
Despite Mammootty’s colossal presence, Bramayugam is not a one-man spectacle. Arjun Ashokan shines as Thevan, the protagonist dreams of his mother's soothing lap in his hut by a river while stuck in an accursed gateway to hell. Arjun traverses the whole spectrum of emotions from fear, relief, elation, wistfulness, anger, remorse, despondency, and rebellion during the course of Bramayugam’s 139 minutes.
Sidharth Bharathan, the cook feeding his oppressive landlord as a prisoner, rises to take centre stage in the final act. Sidharth’s poise binds the movie’s segments as Mammootty extracts murderous tricks from his arsenal to first ensnare and then enfeeble the Paanan who committed the folly of stepping inside his Mana.
Amalda Liz sizzles as the wordless Yakshi seducing and feasting upon those who wander into her domain.
Cinematic craft at its best
The soundtrack evokes nostalgia for a centuries-old era frozen in time. The background music aptly complements the mastery of the cinematographer Shehnad Jalal who makes hearts freeze with his dance of light and shadows in the corridors of Kodumon Potti's crumbling estate. On multiple occasions, the rising crescendo and its abrupt cessation with the change in lighting herald the transition from night to day on screen, symbolising the shifting world of magic and reality inside the mansion where Thevan is doomed to be trapped.
Shehnad had also collaborated with Rahul Sadasivan for his splendid 2022 horror flick Bhoothakaalam. While Bhoothakaalam was a classic tale of psychological horror, Bramayugam belongs to the realm of rich Kerala folklore.
It is noteworthy to mention that when Bramayugam’s beastly spirit antagonises its prisoners through deceit and mind games altering their perception of the world around them, the same is depicted masterfully by the cinematographer. The use of special effects is restrained and effective. The filmmaker has deployed minimal jump scares.
The art design sweeps us inside the world of Bramayugam. It is gratifying to see arched stone gateways being depicted as entrances into a parallel dimension, the motif which was also used effectively by Kim Ki-duk in Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring.
The central courtyard of the Mana, embodying the unique architectural style of the “Naalukettu,” meaning “four-courtyard house,” is the location of several scenes. Since natural elements such as wood, stone, clay, and coconut leaves were commonly used for the construction of Manas, the location seems a natural choice for the period it is set in.
B/W makes a masterly comeback
The use of black-and-white tone has helped the cinematographer to organically establish stark contrasts escalating the sense of dread in the viewers. The technique also brings out subtle textures and shapes in the darkness, adding to the feeling of a dangerous entity lurking in the shadows.
The monochrome also establishes that the movie is a period horror piece while evoking familiarity with the genre’s most renowned classics. The only other horror movie in recent memory to have gone full black-and-white was Anurag Kashyap’s segment in 2020’s anthology Ghost Stories. There are other movies which have switched selectively to grayscale portions to portray flashback or period references.
Do not wait for Bramayugam to slither down to your insipid TV screen. It has gathered 33 crores in 5 days and is playing across Mumbai with subtitles. Experience Kodumon Potti sniggering and roaring the living daylights out of you on the large screen.
