Actor-producer-director Sasikumar's recently-released film "Bramman" (Brahman) has received mixed reviews (mostly negative) from critics.
Directed by Socrates (a former assistant of Kamal Haasan), "Bramman" has Sasikumar and Lavanya Tripathi in the lead roles. The film also has Naveen Chandra, Santhanam, Soori and Jayaprakash in pivotal roles. The film's music is by Devi Sri Prasad and cinematography is Jomon T. John. The Sasikumar starrer is produced by K. Manju and Anto Joseph under K Manju Cinemas and Anto Joseph Film Company.
The film's story revolves around two close friends Shiva (Sasikumar) and Kumar (Naveen Chandra), who get separated at an early age. Shiva and Kumar are crazy about films since their young age. As Shiva grows up, he takes a local theatre on lease in Coimbatore, whereas Kumar becomes a noted film director and settles in Chennai.
Shiva's theatre business runs unsuccessfully and he goes to Chennai in search of his friend so as to get a favour from him. What happens next forms the crux of the story. Friendship has been the main idea of the film, but it also has other commercial elements such as romance, songs, emotions and comedy.
While the first half is full of commercial elements, the actual story begins in the second half. Critics have pointed out that the film's core idea was good, but the routine commercial elements appear to have been pushed in the narration without any good reason.
Check below the review roundup of Bramman
According to Sify, "The actual story takes place only in the second half, while the period upto interval is loaded with comedy, love track and an action scene. The entertainment elements are thrust into the narration, without any justification. Sasikumar is given a makeover with designer clothes and songs in foreign locations and an introductory 'kuthu' song that one associates with mass hero stars."
According to Behindwoods Review Board, "The movie takes us through a 'not-very-exciting' first half that establishes Sasikumar's passion for cinema and his love interest, played by Lavanya Tripathi, along with a few essential characters played by Santhanam, Malavika Menon and Lateef Omar."
"The second half of the film, rolls out in a shipshape manner, with the introduction of Naveen Chandra, letting the audience chew through the meat and potatoes of the story."
According to Indiaglitz, "Probably the biggest letdown of this movie would be the technical aspects from the direction to the cinematography. The camera cranked in the few scenes is blurred, was this missed or intentional would be a mystery."
"Through this movie Socrates has unveiled the story of unyielding friendship that refuses to budge, remarkable yes! But has done an average job in the direction department with a lot of room for err. Without his usual tryst with violence, this is a different Sasikumar at work and the man who usually has a large fan following in B & C centers would definitely feel the heat with this movie."
According to Siddarth Srinivas of Cinemalead, "The whole of Brahman is peppered with lame buffoonery, as one pleads for something interesting to pop up. Almost nothing works in favour of the film until the very end, where it obviously gets too late. Brahman is a forgettable film for Sasikumar, and the exact opposite of what we usually get when he is in the picture."
Verdict: An Average Commercial Entertainer
