Athiradi Movie Review:
Athiradi is a loud film in every sense of the word. The characters are loud. The music is loud. And with the story unfolding against the backdrop of a campus festival, the ambience is naturally loud too. There’s a restless, crazy energy to the film, driven majorly by editor Chaman Chakko, who steps on the gas every time the narrative threatens to slow down. His flashy, fancy cuts give the film the pace and rhythm of an extended Instagram reel. But that also means Athiradi trades emotional intensity and character depth for spectacle and set pieces, resulting in a shallow yet enjoyable youthful entertainer that still gives enough bang for the buck.
Director: Arun Anirudhan
Cast: Basil Joseph, Tovino Thomas, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Vishnu Agasthya, Riya Shibu, Shaan Rahman
Basil Joseph and Tovino Thomas often position themselves as playful rivals offscreen, constantly pulling each other’s legs at every given opportunity. Athiradi smartly taps into this dynamic, pitting them against each other as a student determined to revive his college’s cultural festival and a retired gangster hellbent on ruining it. As the carefree and goofy Sam Kutty, Basil largely stays within his comfort zone, but it is Tovino who leaves the bigger impact. He plays Sreekuttan Vellayani, a dreaded gangster trying to mend his ways and focus on his newfound passion: music. He is now a “gaana gunda”, as the cops jokingly call him.
Kuttan’s characterisation might remind many of Aavesham’s Rangannan, but Tovino does really well to bring his own charm to the character. Much like Fahadh, he balances the character’s mass aura and humour without ever overdoing it. The actor handles the 'Thironthoram' dialect and subtle voice modulations superbly, without reducing them to caricature like usual. The mandatory 'Baasha-style' buildup for Kuttan in the pre-interval stretch, followed by the explosive campus sequence, easily ranks among the most whistleworthy moments in Tovino’s career.
Credit must also go to director Arun Anirudhan for staging these high moments with admirable precision. The debutant shows immense promise, particularly in sequences like the roadshow that sparks the clash between students and locals, and the energetic climactic stretch. Cinematographer Samuel Henry, however, relies a bit too heavily on top-angle shots to capture the chaos, grandeur and festive atmosphere.
Aarohan, the festival in question, has been suspended by the college authorities ever since a tragic mishap claimed a few lives. The film’s emotional core is built around this incident, with Vishnu Agasthya’s Joppan carrying much of that weight. And trust this dependable actor to deliver. Despite limited screentime, Vishnu is excellent in portraying Joppan’s depression and lingering guilt. Sam believes reviving the festival will finally give his brother closure, pushing him to go to any extent to make it happen. Now that is a solid emotional foundation to build a story on.
Like Sam, Kuttan too is driven by family emotions. He is now a changed man, thanks largely to his wife (Zarin Shihab, refreshing in a rooted rural role), who constantly reminds him that beating up people does not make him a badass. But it is ultimately what happens to his wife that prompts him to turn back to violence.
Arun Anirudhan and co-writer Paulson Skaria’s writing, however, is not always consistently effective. Sam repeatedly insists he is serious about conducting the festival and brags about his “crisis management” skills, yet the script barely addresses safety measures, which should logically be the first concern after a tragedy of that scale.
Similarly, some characters, including Riya Shibu’s Swathi, feel severely underwritten. She exists mostly as a motivational presence in the hero’s journey without adding much to the narrative. Even a much-hyped cameo comes across as a forced attempt to cash in on the actor’s current popularity rather than serving any real purpose in the story.
Still, Athiradi is a film that benefits immensely from not taking itself too seriously. Take, for instance, the scene where Basil talks about his family's bitter past. Despite him talking about unpleasant things, the writers keep slipping in the right dose of fun to ensure it doesn't sound like the usual melodramatic monologue. Vineeth Sreenivasan and Shaan Rahman’s hilarious performances, some judicious use of meta references, and, more importantly, Tovino shedding all vanity to play a character like Kuttan work strongly in the film’s favour. Not all of Basil’s jokes land perfectly, but he still anchors the film effectively with his infectious energy.
Athiradi is one of those films that doesn't warrant a lot of digging, but just vibing along. Maybe approach it the way Sam Kutty often says. “Whatever!”
