Cast :Chandu Salimkumar, Girish A D, Farzana Palathingal
Director :Chidambaram
Overview : It’s an unconventional movie of mother and her son presented in a novel manner as a survival drama.
Story line : The film follows a mother, Indhu (Farzana Palathingal), and her young son, Balan (played as a child by Adhisheshan and later by Muhammad Zinaan), are in jail for reasons unknown to audience .When the mother and son are released from Kannur jail, she is told by the queenpin of the prisoners, A sex worker Shamnatha (Beena Antony), that she would come in search of her when she is released. Once released from jail Indhu is frightened and for her and her son safety , they than are constantly on the run . They live under false names and changing identities, fleeing from one village to another. Each time Indhu tells her son different stories drilling him to remember each time a new identity , a new name,
It’s finally when the mother ends up looking after an elderly lady, Ammoomma, in a wheelchair in a village, that they begin to find some semblance of normalcy and the boy starts to go to school.
The two of them forms a good bond with Ammoomma , and start living their life , but date takes a nasty turn and Mother and her son are separated, what twist and turns happen forms the crux of the film
The core of the story explores the immense psychological toll this unstable lifestyle takes on the boy, who is trained by his mother to lie, manipulate, and do whatever it takes to survive , this has been shown brilliantly . As the years pass, we witness the loss of his innocence and the chilling evolution of a young boy adapting to a hostile world
Technical Review : Chidambaram’s direction and Jithu Madhavan’s layered writing keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire first half. Sushin Shyam’s background score is exceptional, building intense psychological tension, while Shyju Khalid’s cinematography shifts effortlessly from isolated, eerie woods to a bustling coastline.
The first half is thrilling but the second half is emotional and a slow burner .The cinematography is good but editing could have been more crisp.
Performances:Farzana Palathingal as Indhu . She subverts the typical “noble, weeping cinematic mother” trope, portraying Indhu as grim, manipulative, and unpredictable, yet deeply vulnerable. The child actor, Adhisheshan, is equally brilliant—his innocent eyes beautifully convey the heavy psychological trauma of isolation. Tovino Thomas shines in his character
Final Words : Balan is an unconventional and thought provoking movie , so if you like slow burner non commercial movie than the Hindi version is a must watch
Ratings : 3*/5*
Watvh Trailer Here
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