Neelavelicham (film)

The film starts with an unknown person entering an abandoned mansion at midnight and being scared away by a ghostly figure in the dark.

A dispirited writer comes to stay in the mansion, Bhargavi Nilayam, which is situated in a village. As he enters the mansion, the residents of the village stand and watch in shock. As the writer enters the house, he finds it to be completely dusty, which he deduces means nobody has stayed in the house in a long time. Nevertheless, he starts cleaning the house as he doesn't have another place to stay. Later, as he goes into a restaurant to have food, the writer asks the owner of the restaurant whether they could deliver meals to his house, to which the owner initially agrees. When the owner learns that he stays at Bhargavi Nilayam, he says the food cannot be delivered there as the lunch carrier is broken. The writer says he'll come to the restaurant to have food instead.

That evening, the writer goes to meet his friends, and when he tells them that he's staying in Bhargavi Nilayam, they reveal the reason why everybody's terrified of even thinking about that mansion. In the 1950s, there lived a beautiful girl named Bhargavi. She had committed suicide due to love failure by jumping into a well, and people believed that the ghost of Bhargavi still lived there, which is why everybody was scared of going near the mansion. They also tell him that another person named Nanukuttan was in love with her. After hearing this, the writer doesn't pay heed to their words and tells them that Bhargavi wouldn't hurt him. He even starts talking to Bhargavi's ghost.

The next morning, everybody is surprised to see the writer alive, as they had thought that the ghost had killed him the previous night. When the writer goes to the restaurant to have breakfast, the owner tells him the same thing that his friends had told him the previous day. The writer tells the hotel owner that he has decided to write a story about Bhargavi. Later, as the writer sits down to write the story, he hears noises coming from a storeroom on the other side of the house. As he goes into the storeroom, he finds a box in there, but cannot find the key that opens the box. He then opens the box with a knife that he has with him. Inside the box, he finds a picture of Bhargavi. He also finds a strand of curly hair wrapped in a piece of newspaper, which says something about a dead body being found on a train and a love letter to Bhargavi written by Nanukuttan. He decides to uncover more facts about Bhargavi and her death so he can complete the story. After he asks a few people, he realises that Bhargavi's death might have been a murder and not a suicide, like the villagers had been thinking all this time. One night, as he is writing a story, the kerosene in his lamp runs out, and he goes to his friends' house to get some kerosene to fill the lamp. When he returns home, he sees that the entire house is filled with an extremely bright, blue-coloured light.

Bhargavi is young, a college-going girl who is really good at singing and dancing. She decides to approach Sasi Kumar, a singer who is also her neighbour, to play the sitar for her programme in the college youth fest. He agrees to do it when asked, and they begin practising together. The programme is a huge success, and Bhargavi and Sasi Kumar begin practising together for more programmes like dramas and singing competitions. Eventually, they develop a romantic relationship. During Bhargavi's performance, we see Narayanan, Bhargavi's cousin, who is infatuated with her and plans to marry her. He doesn't like other men getting close to Bhargavi. One day, as Bhargavi sends fruits to Sasi Kumar's house, Narayanan happens to visit him. He doesn't create any trouble so as not to raise any suspicion and leaves soon, though he confirms that Bhargavi and Sasi Kumar are in a relationship. After he gets home, Narayanan tells his aunt that he wants to marry Bhargavi. But she objects to this and says that she still hasn't completed her education. When Narayanan sees Bhargavi, he confronts her about her relationship, to which she replies that she isn't ready to marry anyone except Sasi Kumar. Narayanan decides to get rid of Sasi Kumar to get what he wants. He later writes a letter to Bhargavi saying he would do anything to make sure that he would be the one marrying her. This is the same letter that Basheer finds in the box, and Narayanan is revealed to be Nanukuttan.

That evening, Sasi Kumar decides to go to Lucknow due to some political issues arising in the village. As he boards the train, Narayanan accompanies him on the same train, saying he has to go to Delhi for a job interview. Narayanan gives Sasi Kumar a bunch of bananas, saying Bhargavi had sent them for him. He accepts the bananas and starts eating them while on the train. Soon, he starts to get uneasy and finds difficulty in breathing. As he asks Narayanan for some water, Narayanan refuses to give any, which is when it is revealed that Narayanan had poisoned the bananas before giving them to Sasi Kumar. Sasi Kumar dies on the train soon after. Bhargavi becomes very troubled after not seeing Sasi Kumar for a long time and begins to get worried.

A few days later, as Bhargavi is still waiting for Sasi Kumar to return, Narayanan visits Bhargavi while she is alone in the house and reveals to her that Sasi Kumar is dead and he's not coming back. Bhargavi starts to cry and says that her marriage is already over, and Narayanan cannot marry her anymore. Narayanan gets angry and throws Bhargavi into the well, and Bhargavi dies.

The story shifts to the present, where the writer is about to finish writing the story. During one night, as the writer is standing near the well, seemingly talking to Bhargavi's ghost, Narayanan appears and tells the writer that he was the one who killed Bhargavi. The writer tells Narayanan that he can have the entire story and tells him to let him go, but Narayanan says that since the writer already knows the complete truth, it's his need to get the writer killed, and they start fighting. As the writer is severely hurt, it starts raining, and eventually, Narayanan reveals that Sasi Kumar didn't die only because of the poison and that Narayanan had choked him to death before getting out of the train. As they are fighting, they reach the well and start fighting near it. Narayanan almost manages to drown the writer in the well, but he himself slips into the well instead and drowns. The writer decides to help Narayanan get out of the well and passes a rope, but as Narayanan tries to grab the rope, Bhargavi's spirit drags him deeper down the well, and he dies the same way Bhargavi had died many years back. As the writer looks over the well to help Narayanan climb back, the bright blue light appears again, this time from the well. Along with it, the story that Narayanan had thrown into the well before the fight hovers up, indicating Bhargavi's desire to get the story published.

Neelavelicham is the second remake of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's short story of the same name, following the 1964 adaptation Bhargavi Nilayam.^[7] Director Aashiq said that he had read the original short story in his school library without initially knowing that it was the plot of Bhargavi Nilayam.^[8]

The film was announced in January 2021 by director Aashiq Abu on the 113th birth anniversary of legendary freedom fighter and Malayalam literary writer Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, along with a poster depicting an ancient Kerala-style home buried in the darkness and gently glowing with moonlight. The house is surrounded by trees and birds, yet upon closer inspection, the front yard is blood-splattered.^[9]

Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kunchacko Boban, Rima Kallingal, and Soubin Shahir were initially cast in the project.^[7] However, due to their hectic schedules and the COVID-19 outbreak in India, Prithviraj and Kunchacko opt out of the film.^[9] It was assumed that Asif Ali will take Kunchacko part. The identical poster was released in March 2022, but with a new cast of Tovino Thomas, Kallingal, Mathew, and Chacko. It was also stated that Shaiju Khalid was replaced by cinematographer Girish Gangadharan.^[10] This film marks Abu and Thomas fourth collaboration, following after Mayaanadhi (2017), Virus (2019) and Naradan (2022).^[11]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the filming was delayed.^[12] The pooja and the principal photography of the film was kickstarted on 25 April 2022 in Pinarayi, Thalassery.^[13] The film was completed in mid-August 2022.^[14]

The original songs were composed by M. S. Baburaj. They were remade by Bijibal and Rex Vijayan.

The makers published a teaser poster featuring Thomas in traditional costume with a white shirt, mundu, and briefcase in his hand, inspecting a dusty room in June 2022, along with the film's December 2022 release date.^[15][2] On 30 July 2022, the second poster of the film, showing Kallingal as Bhargavi in a dance posture with her robe spread like butterfly wings against the backdrop of a serene scenic area, was unveiled.^[16][17] On 1 November 2022, marked as Kerala Day, Mathew greeted his followers with a look poster depicting him seated on the porch outside the house, wearing a white dhoti and white vest, with spectacles.^[18]

S. R. Praveen of The Hindu states that Neelavelicham successfully captures the essence of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's original story. He notes that the film's strength lies in its focus on the relationship between the Writer and Bhargavi. He praised the high-quality sound design, visual effects, and performances of the cast. However, he states that the remake offers little new content for those familiar with the original film and also criticised Shine Tom Chacko's performance. He wrote: "Neelavelicham provides an absorbing sensory experience, but the question of the need for a remake remains. Its biggest contribution would be to make a whole generation watch the original landmark film."^[19]

Gopika Is of The Times of India rated the film 3.5/5 stars and states that Neelavelicham is a visually appealing remake of the classic film. She praises the movie's modern visual style and its ability to avoid unnecessary horror elements. She also highlights the grounded cast performances. While the film is considered "a visual treat", a few criticisms are that it lacks suspense, and the dialogue is "a little too cheesy". The review also commends the cinematography and soundtracks, noting they "do justice to the original."^[20]

Kirubhakar Purushothaman of The Indian Express rated the film 2.5/5 stars and stated that while Neelavelicham is "a well-executed adaptation", it ultimately "doesn't justify its own existence" due to the similarity to the original. He notes that the film appears dated in terms of plot and emotionality, as it's a "frame-by-frame remake" of the 1964 classic film. He wrote that the film "doesn't do much other than remind the current generation of the existence of such a classic story."^[21]

Lakshmi Priya of The News Minute states that Neelavelicham is "a visually stunning remake" that doesn't update the story. She notes that the film is a respectful tribute that benefits from modern technology, cinematography, and music. The review also notes that while the lead actors, Tovino Thomas and Rima Kallingal, are endearing, they sometimes struggle with the dated dialogue. She wrote: "For all its charm, Neelavelicham makes no effort to advance or modernise the original plot."^[22]

Princy Alexander of Onmanorama states that Neelavelicham is a "charming" adaptation that pays tribute to its original story. She praises the film for its "stunning" visuals and music, its successful blending of romantic and horror elements. She notes that the film's first half lacks depth, especially in the writer's monologues. She felt that Tovino Thomas's performance as the writer was not as strong as Madhu's in the original, but commended Rima Kallingal, Shine Tom Chacko, and Roshan Mathew for their roles. She further states that the film is not a "perfect retelling".^[23]

Anna MM Vetticad of Firstpost rated the film 3.5/5 stars and describes Neelavelicham's success lies in its mesmeric visuals and imagery rather than its plot. She mentions that the film is a competently made and visually inventive reimagining that relies on technological advancements to bring the story to life. She wrote: "It is an enchanting reboot of Basheer's quaint tale."^[24]

Sajin Shrijith of The New Indian Express rated the film 3.5/5 stars and praises the audio-visual creativity, cinematography and the fitting cast. He also notes that the film improves on the original by using subtle humor and effectively conveying the style of the author's writing. Overall, the film is seen as a simple, efficient, and immersive experience. He wrote: "Not all those films had stories with depth, but they more than made up for it through enchanting imagery. I would say the same for Neelavelicham too. It’s, for me, an immersive experience done right. Simple, yet efficient."^[25]

In March 2023, music composer Baburaj's daughter sent a legal notice to Aashiq Abu and Bijibal against them using Baburaj's song from Bhargavi Nilayam in Neelavelicham.^[26] She complained that the remade versions of Baburaj's songs present in the movie had been used without prior permission and were made in such a way that destroy the uniqueness and essence of the original versions.^[27]