Ever since Amal Neerad announced his next directorial venture with Mammootty, the whole of Kerala expected something along the lines of Big B. The duo were reuniting for the first time after 15 years for Bheeshma Parvam and we all were excited again.
The film was directed by Amal Neerad and scripted by Amal and Devadath Shaji with additional writing credits given to RJ Murugan. The film stars an ensemble cast consisting of Mammootty, Sreenath Bhasi, Soubin Shahir, Shine Tom Chacko, Nadiya Moidu, Srinda, Farhaan Faasil, Dileesh Pothan, Jinu Joseph, Nisthar Sait, Maala Parvathi, Shebin Benson, Lena, Veena Nandakumar, Harish Uthaman, Sudev Nair, Anagha, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Abu Salim, Ramesh Kottayam and others. The film also marks the last onscreen appearance of all-time legendary actors Nedumudi Venu and KPAC Lalitha.
Premise of Bheeshma Parvam
Bheeshma Parvam introduces us to the Anjooti family. With only the mother surviving amongst the empire’s creators, the family’s control was assigned to Micheal (Mammootty), the third son. The entire family lives together in the ancestral house, where Micheal has his own goonda set up to help those individuals who approach him. The younger generation doesn’t approve of the ways of Micheal. As such, small outbursts erupt. When Ami Ali (Sreenath Bhasi), Michael’s step-nephew and Racheal (Anagha), Michael’s niece fall in love, problems arise that become too severe. How these issues are resolved and at what cost forms the remaining part of Bheeshma Parvam.
Writing
The story may not be the most unique one but is definitely something that lures the viewers into watching the whole film. The simplistic and generic storyline is elevated into something mesmerizing by the brilliant script. The writers have superbly placed each event and developed each character in this magnum opus of sorts.
The subtle references to the Mahabharata with the character arcs and the whole storyline are great to watch. The inculcation of unintentional humour works wonderfully. Bheeshma Parvam is not all mass throughout its runtime. It is more of a film that takes its time to build a world, create conflicts and find solutions to the same.
The final 20 minutes is something that is outstanding to watch. The rush of emotions and the way in which each character gets the required ending they needed were fleshed out very well by the writers. The script, especially the dialogues, is a winner and makes a generic story into something extremely entertaining and intriguing.
Amal Neerad’s Making
Amal Neerad, as a director, evolves with each of his films. Personally, I would say that Bheeshma Parvam is his finest directorial venture after Iyobinte Pusthakam. The way he handles chaos and convolutions in a script by making the film a visual spectacle is fascinating. Bheeshma Parvam has the signature Amal Neerad style, which is action, blood, mass as well as slow-mos.
The film, however, is not just about these aspects, it’s much more than that. It is an experience you would cherish and thanks to Amal Neerad’s fantabulous making, Bheeshma Parvam turns out to be the mass film we needed. It is the perfect example of how mass can be done right without being too loud or crass. Amal’s creative decisions ranging from the casting to the making of the film pays off effectively. Bheeshma Parvam is an experience you cannot really get over too soon.
Acting Performances in Bheeshma Parvam
Bheeshma Parvam has an ensemble cast, but if there is someone who single-handedly runs the entire show, it is none other than the Megastar Mammootty himself. At the age of 70, this man is capable of doing anything and everything an actor of the same calibre does in his 30s. Be it the action scenes or the dialogue delivery, or even the sheer screen presence, Bheeshma Parvam is an out and out Mammootty show.
He is supported brilliantly by a menacing Shine Tom Chacko and Soubin Shahir, who seems to have found his mojo back. Farhaan Faasil, Dileesh Pothan, Jinu Joseph, Sreenath Bhasi, Nisthar Sait, Maala Parvathi, Abu Salim, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Nadiya Moidu, Veena Nandakumar, Lena, Anagha and the other ensemble cast members put forward commendable performances. Sudev Nair as Rajan was on screen for a brief time but delivers a punch with his distinctive voice and unique nature of playing a villain character. Late legendary actors Nedumudi Venu and KPAC Lalitha were effortless in their roles as well.
Technical Work
The cinematography by Anend C Chandran is fabulous to watch. The slow-mos, fight scenes, intro sequences and the overall visual appeal of the film were enhanced by Anend’s brilliant camera work. The editing by Vivek Harshan was slick and smooth, which helped in keeping the film fast-paced and maintained the intriguing nature of the script. The music and background score by Sushin Shyam is just out of the world. The music is absolutely phenomenal and immerses you into this bloody and gruesome world of Micheal Anjooti. The stunt choreography by Supreme Sundar is fascinating and helps in adding the required mass elements for the film. Colour grading, production designers, art department, set designers as well as costume designers deserve a lot of praise for their contributions as well.
You SHOULD Watch Bheeshma Parvam!
As a whole, Bheeshma Parvam is a well crafted and well-executed mass movie. With all makers running behind crafting realistic films, Amal Neerad steps in and offers the viewers a masala film to Marvel at. The superbly executed film has a great script and some stellar acting performances by the ensemble cast. The massy elements reach the viewers as and when needed, and serve as a thorough entertainer. I absolutely loved watching Bheeshma Parvam and I urge you all to check out this magnum opus of sorts, created by Amal Neerad.
