Anando Brahma: High on Laughs

Horror comedies have become clichéd these days as filmmakers are either cashing in on star power or coming up with run-of-the-mill stories sans chills and solid scares. With Anandho Brahma, director Mahi V Raghav breaks the stereotypes about horror entertainers and is bang on with a refreshing story coupled with loads of humour. Although there is nothing exceptional about it, the deft narration keeps the viewer till the end. Adding to that, the credible performers it has in the form of Shakalaka Shankar, Tagubothu Ramesh, Srinivas Reddy and Vennela Kishore will make you laugh-out-loud.

Cast: Shakalaka Shankar, Srinivas Reddy, Tagubothu Ramesh, Vennela Kishore, Taapsee
Director: Mahi V Raghav

The director goes against the trend, and for a change, chooses a script where a ghost is scared of humans. Ten minutes in, the film sucks you into its drama completely as the story is set in an abandoned house associated with some paranormal story. What sets this film apart from others is sharp writing of Mahi V Raghav. The way he shows the four unusual characters facing some unpleasant incidents and their efforts to prove a point is beautifully presented. Shakalaka Shankar mimicking a few popular stars and their dialogues just to scare the ghosts is hilarious. While Vennela Kishore is not influenced by the things going around him--thanks to his night blindness and a hearing problem--Tagubothu Ramesh’s alcoholic act accompanied with Srinivas Reddy’s heart ailment are perfectly used in the situation. It’s not an overstatement to say that the film belongs to these four characters, who put their heart and soul into the film. If you go expecting Taapsee’s show, you are in for a disappointment as she has only a limited scope in the story.

On the flip side, the director takes his own sweet time to establish all the principal characters, and the film goes at a slow pace for the first hour. Post interval, the narrative picks up steam and all the comedians bring the house down for a good 30 minutes. The film also has some well-executed horror sequences and it’s a value-addition to the tale. Although Anandho Brahma falters towards the climax with some uninteresting flashback episodes and appears stretched at times due to its length, the entertainment it offers makes you leap in your seat. The director has shown his skill in handling the comedy and creating such sequences effectively.

Unlike most of the horror movies which eventually end up disappointing, Anandho Brahma, is high on laughs with riveting performances. Go watch the battle between ghosts and humans with your friends!