A picturesque rural setting, a group of children, a sprawling traditional house (tharavad), a land rich in folk lores and beliefs, and a bunch of great actors. All these should have been enough for a gripping film in the hands of an experienced director or scenarist. Gu, filmmaker Manu Radhakrishnan’s debut feature, tries to provide the chills and thrills expected in a film that deals with spirits and the supernatural.
Gu (Malayalam)
Gu begins with a teenage girl who is believed to be possessed by the spirit of a young girl who had met with an unnatural death on the premises of the family home. To help her parents, the extended family comes back their roots to perform rituals to exorcise the spirt and deal with the spell of bad luck that seems to have affected different remembers of the family.
The plot hinges on the myth and belief of Gulikan and tries to give it a new interpretation by depicting him as a friendly supernatural being that looks out for children. Cinematographer Chandrakanth Madhavan’s frames captures the verdant greenery and gives a hint of the spookiness that even the most blandest of surroundings can evoke.
Sai (a splendid Saiju Kurup), Nimisha and their daughter Minna (Deva Nandha) arrive from Bengaluru with his family. Maniyanpillai Raju, Sai’s maternal uncle, arrives with his differently-abled son and so on. Sai’s scientific temper rebels against the superstitions and beliefs of his relatives. Mithran, enacted delightfully by Niranj Maniyanpilla Raju, is a cousin who enjoys spending time with the kids in the family.
The humour is provided by Mithran’s antics as he tries to cover his fear with some bravado and tall tales. He plays a student of Ayurveda who is interested in learning more about the medicinal values of herbs and plants.
The thread of the story expands as the director spends time showing the children bonding with each other and with Mithran. Child actor Deva Nanda is her usual confident self. The one to look out is the youngster called Appu.
After the initial scenes of the teenager being possessed by a spirit, the director takes his time to narrate the story of a family trying to move forward in the 125-plus-minute movie.
Manu, who has also written the script of the film, cannot make up his mind whether it is a horror movie rooted in folklore or a psychological thriller.. The folklore part is explored towards the end of the movie with a Theyyam representing the Gulikan and its belief among the local residents.
A scene in which the women of the family get possessed by the spirit could have been handled more subtly. Some scenes of a scarecrow (reminding one of the Marvel comic anti-hero Sandman) coming to life, courtesy the spirit, added a dash of thrill and horror.
What Manu gets right is the way children bond and spent time together. Certain scenes evoke nostalgia as the city-bred kids discover the joys and fun in a rural ambience in the company of Appu.
If you want to watch a family drama with some supernatural folklore, then this is the film for you.
Gu is currently running in theatres
Published - July 20, 2024 02:55 pm IST
