ANTAKSHARI (അന്താക്ഷരി), a new release Indian Malayalam movie written and directed by Vipin Das, is a movie starring Sanju Kurup in the lead role as a circle inspector. Antakshari was released on the ott platform, Sony Liv, on the 22nd of April. The runtime of the movie is two hours and one minute. Being one of the most anticipated releases, Antakshari might be a tough competition for the other newly released movies.
| Release on OTT Platform (Sony Liv) | 22nd April 2022 |
| IMDB | 7.8/10 |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Director | Vipin Das |
| Antakshari Movie Cast | Saiju Kurup, Sudhi Koppa, Srinivas, Priyanka Nair. |
Malayalam Movie ANTAKSHARI Plot
Sanju Kurup (Das) is a circle inspector of a high-range town called Karma. He has a strong inclination to Antakshari, a nostalgic childhood game. He is known amongst his co-workers for his obsession with playing the game Antakshari both at home and while questioning his suspects. However, his life turns when he starts receiving threatening phone calls from someone who taunts him using the same Antakshari game. His refusal to play along has serious consequences as his daughter is attacked.
Das (Sanju Kurup) panics and investigates the man behind the call. They dig up cases from the past that had a similar course of action. The crux of Antakshari is based on how Das links the dots and finds out more about the attacker.
Sony Liv Malayalam Movie ANTAKSHARI (അന്താക്ഷരി) Review
“The nostalgic childhood game Antakshari takes a menacing turn.”
The movie talks about childhood trauma and its effects on the lives of those suffering from it. The director, Vipin Das, with his non-linear narrative, creates a clear picture in the audience’s minds of how traumatic events can cause psychopathic tendencies in a child. People from a not-so-privileged background may not have the resources to deal with the trauma and end up with some deviation in their mental health.
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Right from the start of the movie, there is an uneasy feeling, and it is maintained throughout, mainly due to the movie’s tone. The serious tone and touch of dark comedy don’t smoothly blend into the narrative, making the viewers frustrated at first with how things evolve. The slow pace of establishing the characters additionally irks the situation.
The climax is intense and engaging for the most part. Bablu Aju’s cinematographer has done an amazing job at capturing the sheer horror of seeking a solution to find out the insane killer. Antakshari can be a difficult watch for people easily triggered by themes like these. The movie has violence, sexual assault, child abuse, explicit language, casteism, and the normalization of trauma. Even though the ending seems rushed, it goes well with the story. The action feels very organized, even though it could have been better.
Saiju Kurup delivers quality performance, a diligent cop trying to put the puzzles together. He seems like the perfect protagonist to carry compelling stories like these. Sudhi Koppa has done a wonderful job supporting Saiju’s character. He is a good actor with new capabilities. Priyanka Nair shines as a mother frightened of the situation. She leaves her mark as an actor. All the other characters have done enough justice to their roles.
Director Vipin Das has done an amazing job by managing to weave the raw and realistic thriller talking about the pain of trauma and how it affects you for life. Antakshari has enough spine-chilling moments. The traumatic set of affairs of the characters creates a bigger impact on the audience. It recalled old Malayalam thrillers with distressing flashbacks most disturbing part is when the movie goes back to the past to reveal the events that caused certain characters to behave the way they do now.
Malayalam Thriller Movie Conclusion
Overall, Antakashari is a standard investigative thriller. The director truly did a commendable job by making such a realistic movie. Arjun S Mani’s sound effects go well with the distressing mood of the movie. The characters performed well, making it more organic. The story does have a lot of disturbing scenes, yet, Antakshari, both as a thriller and as a skillful narration of society’s mindset, will not disappoint the viewers. Antakshari might have a chance to enter the list of top 10 movies on Sony Liv.
