Director: Aashiq Abu
Cast: Tovino Thomas, Revathy, Parvathy Thiruvoth, Soubin Shahir, Kunchacko Boban.
Kerala has showed the way many a time. Two tragedies hit the state last year — the floods and the Nipah virus outbreak — and the way we overcame is something to cherish for each and every Malayali. Virus, directed by Aashiq Abu, narrates how the outbreak of a deadly virus was tackled by an alert administration and some brave heroes.
Ever since the release of its trailer, excitement was high among the audience. Featuring an ensemble cast comprising Tovino Thomas, Parvathy, Revathy, Kunchacko Boban, Sreenath Bhasi, Madonna Sebastian, Soubin Shahir, Indrajith, Asif Ali, Rahman, Rima Kallingal, Joju Joseph, Dileesh Pothan and Poornima Indrajith, the film has hit the screens at a time when the virus has once again infected a man in Kochi. And the movie, undoubtedly, turns out to be one of the best ones of the year. Here, reality is scarier than fiction. Aashiq Abu has brilliantly painted the scary situation that prevailed in the state for a few days as well as the bravado of some heroes.
The screenplay worked out by Muhsin Parari details the outbreak and shows how the authorities tackled the situation. There are a lot of political aspects to it, too. The movie constantly tries to bring down the false notion that the Nipah outbreak in Kerala was a bio-weapon attack by any country or any organisation. It also depicts how a political party wants to make it so. Though the film celebrates the State Health Department’s successful measures to tackle the issue, it is ironic that the film has been released at a crucial time like this. Every cinematic expression is a statement and there should be some politics behind it and it is inevitable. As a work of art, Virus brings the cinematic experience to a new level and introduces a new style of storytelling on a bigger, wider and fresh canvas.
The decision to cast big actors for each important role is a masterstroke by the director. It makes sure that nobody is left unnoticed. The director wants to give credit to each and every person involved in the operation. That way, he also salutes all the real-life heroes. And in return, every actor in this movie pays tribute to the heroes by playing their respective roles wonderfully. Revathy, Soubin, Kunchacko Boban, Parvathy, and Tovino stand out among them.
Sushin Shyam’s pulsating music, Rajeev Ravi’s masterful cinematography and Saiju Sreedharan’s editing contribute to the movie’s success. On the whole, Virus is very intense, asks a lot of questions and answers a lot of unanswered questions, too. This well-crafted fictional documentation is definitely worth a watch.
