neelavelicham movie review in malayalam

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'Neelavelicham' Review: Aashiq Abu's shining tribute to Beypore Sultan

'Neelavelicham', based on Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's short story of the same name, has been reimagined on a grand scale by director Aashiq Abu and his team. 

The yellowish tint, the slow pace of a bygone era and the charm of a beautiful love story define the movie, which also draws heavily on A Vincent's 1964 film 'Bhargavi Nilayam'.

Though not a perfect retelling, the filmmaker has made an effort to make it charming on many occasions. The visuals and music are stunning. You see this when Rima, as Bhargavi, takes the stage to dance to the song 'Anuraga Madhuchashakam', crooned by K S Chithra.

Aashiq Abu's next 'Neelavelicham' starring Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal starts rolling

Not a remake, but a tribute to the original: Tovino Thomas on ‘Neelavelicham’

The house, which is the centre of focus of the movie, looks magnificent from the outside, thanks to the craftsmanship of award-winning cinematographer Girish Gangadharan. The blue and white elements used in the film to signify the presence of a ghost in the house is elaborate, but not overdone.

However, despite the beautiful visual feast, something seems to be amiss in the first half of the film. The monologues of the writer (Sahithyakaran) who is living in the haunted mansion are devoid of the depth, that characterised Basheer's literature.

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Also, Tovino (playing the role of the writer who is supposedly the Beypore Sultan himself) struggled to translate that aura onscreen.

His playful interactions with the ghost Bhargavi ( played by Rima) are cute, but even the minor misses force viewers to draw parallels with the Sahithyakaran immortalised by Madhu in 'Bhargavi Nilayam.'

Rima, both as the ghost and Sasikumar's lover, has lived her part, while Shine Tom Chacko and Roshan Mathew, also essayed their roles well.

The costumes envisioned by Sameera Saneesh on the actors have helped in transporting the characters to another time, though most of it are in shades of white. 'Neelavelicham' falls in the category of romantic horror thrillers, and the makers have been able to do justice to the genre, for the most part. Though Basheer's ghost is revenge-seeking, the fear factor is limited to a few occurrences, which has been depicted well.

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• Home » Movies » Neelavelicham Movie Review

Neelavelicham review: Aashiq Abu’s experimental movie is a technical upgrade of 1964’s ‘Bhargavi Nilayam’

Good performances by Rima Kallingal, Tovino Thomas, Shine Tom Chacko and Roshan Mathew supported by decent comedy make it an entertaining watch.

Published:Aug 18, 2023

A poster of director Ashiq Abu's 'Neelavelicham'. (Twitter)

A decent remake!

Neelavelicham (Malayalam)

• Cast: Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal, Roshan Mathew, Shine Tom Chacko, and Rajesh Madhav
• Director: Ashiq Abu
• Producer: OPM Cinemas
• Music: Biji Bal and Rex Vijayan
• Runtime: 2 hours 14 minutes
• Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi, and Revathy
• Director: Maneesh Sharma
• Producer: Aditya Chopra
• Music: Pritam Chakraborty
• Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes

Director Aashiq Abu’s Neelavelicham (The Blue Radiance) is an experimental film. It is a remake of Bhargavi Nilayam (1964) that marked the directorial debut of veteran cinematographer A Vincent.

The flick gives a new cinematic experience to the old and new generations who have watched, or not watched, the 1964 romantic horror film. It was penned by renowned writer Vaikom Muhammad Basheer based on his own short story Neelavelicham .

Bhargavi Nilayam was a first-of-its-kind film that had a mix of genres — romance, horror and thriller. Neelavelicham has the same scenes as the original movie but has been trimmed down to 2 hours and 14 minutes.

Neelavelicham Vs Bhargavi Nilayam

Neelavelicham is a genuine effort by Aashiq Abu and his crew. He doesn’t change the plot and that’s a challenging factor for a filmmaker to pull off.

Rima Kallingal in ‘Neelavelicham’. (Twitter)

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (Tovino Thomas) reaches Thalassery and starts living in a house that is haunted by a ghost — Bhargavi (Rima Kallingal). Bhargavi commits suicide after a failed love affair. Her lover Sashi Kumar (Roshan Mathew) absconds.

Basheer decides to write Bhargavi’s story. He collects information about her from her mother and friends. But, as the story moves forward, the ghost herself tells her story to Basheer in different ways.

These are some of the highlights of the movie. Cinematic elements work mostly in these parts.

Basheer finds out the reason and the person behind the death of Bhargavi and Sashi Kumar.

Naanu Kuttan (Shine Tom Chacko) reveals the truth to Basheer. What happens in the climax is known to people who are aware of the story.

Also Read: FEFKA tells Malayalam actors to watch their behaviour

Technically sound.

The additional screenplay is written by Hrishikesh Bhaskaran.

The old movie was shot when technology was just a dream. And yet, we find some of the shots and frames amazing.

A poster of director Ashiq Abu’s ‘Neelavelicham’. (Twitter)

Neelavelicham is shot with 4K quality visuals and a Dolby Atmos sound. Making wise, it is technically perfect.

Neelavelicham has been shot by Girish Gangadharan who proved his calibre with his shots in Angamaly Diaries (2017) and Jallikattu (2019). It has night shots that form its soul.

The visuals of the well form an integral part of the movie and the shot where Bhargavi is seen swinging is one of the best visuals.

Editing by V Saajan helps the movie a lot.

Sound design is given a new treatment and plays an important role in the film. The sound and visuals in the scene where Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s servant sees Bhargavi arouse a feeling of fear among the audience watching inside the theatre.

The songs in the new version are composed by Biji Bal and Rex Vijayan.

The original compositions by Maestro MS Baburaj have been a favourite for music lovers. The new versions don’t defame the original ones and have come out well.

ദുനിയാവിലെ എല്ലാവരും കാണേണ്ട സിനിമ. ഇന്ന് മുതൽ 💙 #Neelavelicham In Theaters. Best experienced in 4K Dolby Atmos #VaikomMuhammadBasheer #MSBaburaj #PBhaskaran #TovinoThomas #AashiqAbu #RimaKallingal #RoshanMathew #ShineTomChacko #GirishGangadharan #VSaajan #OPMCinemas pic.twitter.com/LLvFFogi1u — Neelavelicham Movie (@Neelavelicham) April 20, 2023

The performances

Neelavelicham has the same characters as its original. Tovino Thomas plays Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s character which was originally played by veteran actor Madhu.

A poster of ‘Neelavelicham’. (Twitter)

Roshan Mathew replaces Evergreen Hero Prem Nazir as Sashi Kumar and Rima Kallingal does the role of Bhargavi, originally played by Vijaya Nirmala.

Shine Tom Chacko appears as Naanu, the antagonist, which was essayed by PJ Antony in the original.

Unlike the old formula of giving more emotions while acting, the new movie has more character-driven performances.

Tovino delivers a subtle performance as the writer who reaches Thallassery to pen his new book.

Rima Kallingal as Bhargavi looks more adoring than the original Bhargavi in Bhargavi Nilayam . Unlike the old film, which even has humour elements in romance, both Bhargavi and Sashi Kumar romance in a realistic way in the latest version.

Prem Nazir is more humorous compared to Roshan Mathew.

The director trims down the lighter moments among Sashi Kumar, Bhargavi and her helper Kuthirvattom Pappu, played by Rajesh Madhav in Neelavelicham .

Also Read: Dharani Rasendran’s Yaathisai is an impressive period drama

Rima Kallingal is impressive and Roshan Mathew is good, too.

Shine Tom Chacho is perfect for the villain character (Naanu Kuttan). In the original, PJ Antony fared well with his unique style of acting.

Adoor Bhasi’s character has been replaced by Pramod Veliyanad. However, his scenes are trimmed in the new version. In the old version, there are many lighter moments involving Adoor Bhasi, for the sake of comedy though.

Neelavelicham is a technically-sound movie with some good performances by Rima Kallingal, Tovino Thomas, Shine Tom Chacko and Roshan Mathew. It’s a decent remake of Bhargavi Nilayam .

(Views expressed are personal.)

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Neelavelicham Movie Review (2023)

• 20 Apr 2023

Aashiq Abu's 'Neelavelicham' (Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal) nails the retro look-and-feel, but lacks an emotional connect

Neelavelicham Movie Cast & Crew

Aashiq Abu's Neelavelicham is based on the short story of the same name by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, which was made into a blockbuster film version named Bhargavi Nilayam in 1964. That's the year the new film is set in, and if there is one image that sums up Neelavelicham , it's that of a romance being depicted by two flowers, with a butterfly flitting between them. This romance is told in a flashback, a time when the only way to show intimacy on screen was through suggestive nature imagery. But there's another exquisite layer here, which comes from a song in the older film that is recreated here: " Anuraga madhu chashakam ". The dancer is Bhargavi (Rima Kallingal), and she's outfitted like a butterfly. (The lyrics, too, refer to her as a butterfly: njanoru madhumaasa shalabhamallo .) And flowers are an integral part of the film's decor. 

In the present day, the Bhargavi from the flashback is a ghost in a white sari. (There is a lovely explanation for the colour of the attire, which comes in a conversation with her lover, played by Roshan Mathew.) Bhargavi haunts the house she lived in, and Neelavelicham opens deceptively, with an intruder who's terrorised by this ghost on a moonlit night. But the film that follows is not exactly a "horror movie". The protagonist is a writer, played by Tovino Thomas. The way he refers to himself – paava patta sahithyakaran – hints that he has an elevated literary sensibility. Why does he continue to live in a house he knows is haunted? Did no one warn him when he paid the advance? Did he not sense anything wrong when he enters the premises and finds the place in a shambles, with apparently more dust and cobwebs than bricks and mortar? And why isn't he scared of the ghost, at least initially? 

This lack of conventional "logic" allows two readings. One, when the writer decides to pen down Bhargavi's story, when he casually talks to her as though she is a real person, the act can be seen as a creator in communication with his muse in order to make art. And what is a muse but a kind of ghost: unseen, appearing at its own will, and "possessing" you to create something? When the writer – who is Basheer himself, though he is not explicitly called so – decides to find out what happened with Bhargavi, he is, in essence, doing research for a story. And two, the writer and the ghost are kindred… spirits, if you will. In a bold screenwriting choice, given the attention span these days, we get two solo songs in quick succession: one for the writer, and one for the ghost. Both songs are about loneliness and yearning. And even physically, the writer and the ghost are shot similarly. They are reflected in mirrors. They are filmed through doorways that act like a frame within a frame. They are often dressed in white. And they are often seen by the sea.

That's why Neelavelicham is not a horror movie. Seen either way, the ghost is a metaphor, and we are never sure if we are seeing a "real" story being uncovered by the writer or if we are always within this writer's story, within his imagination, within Basheer's imagination. The surreal elements – like the slow-spreading blue light of the title – add to this feel. The other "feel" of the film is full-on retro. We get a Pankaj Mullick LP record and an Awaara song. We get coy looks from a kohl-eyed Bhargavi and her sitar-playing lover. We get a tribute to Basheer's Mathilukal, written in the mid-60s. Most importantly, we get the pace of a retro movie: a long and patient buildup to the interval point. And even afterwards, when things really begin to happen, the pace doesn't exactly pick up. The film is a deliberate slow-burn.

But while these aspects are impressive to note and process in the mind, there is no emotional connection – neither in the flashback between Bhargavi and her lover, nor in the present-day story between Bhargavi and the writer. The latter is a crucial misstep, because we really need to feel the bond the writer develops with his ghost-muse. The role is right up Tovino's comfort zone and he's lovely as a bespectacled presence, but he is given nothing significant to chew on. No actor is, really. Basheer wrote the screenplay for the older film, and the additional writing here is by Hrishikesh Bhaskaran. But there isn't one moment that truly surprises you. Shine Tom Chacko's character is especially one-note. His shifty behaviour early on marks him out as the possible villain, and when he does turn into one, he is just… "a villain". There's no psychology to the man.

As a result, we are left with an academic exercise (an homage) rather than an affecting work of art. There's art behind the camera, sure – in Girish Gangadharan's delicate colours and frames, in Bijibal and Rex Vijayan's superb recreations of MS Baburaj's older songs. ( Vaasantha panchami naalil is especially gorgeous.) But the utter simplicity and predictability of the surface story, which may have been enough for a 1960s audience, makes Neelavelicham a slog to sit through. The retro touches are fine. The problem is that the writing has not been brought to the modern day. It's too respectful of the original material and there's no new take, no new angle, no new approach. There's beauty in the thoughts, there's beauty in the making – but the beauty in the story's central conceits never comes through. The film is itself a ghost. It slips away as you are watching it. It needed a lot more narrative flesh and blood.

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Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

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Neelavelicham

A young, enthusiastic and free-spirited writer arrives to stay in a desolate mansion, rumored to be haunted by the apparition of a young woman who committed suicide when she was betrayed in ... Read all A young, enthusiastic and free-spirited writer arrives to stay in a desolate mansion, rumored to be haunted by the apparition of a young woman who committed suicide when she was betrayed in love. A young, enthusiastic and free-spirited writer arrives to stay in a desolate mansion, rumored to be haunted by the apparition of a young woman who committed suicide when she was betrayed in love.

• Vaikom Muhammad Basheer
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• Trivia Remake of the movie Bhargavi Nilayam and based on the short story by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer with the same name.
• Connections References Kudumbini (1964)

User reviews 13

• May 22, 2023
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• April 20, 2023 (India)
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Neelavelicham review: A visually-impressive tribute to the original

It’s a remake of the 1964 classic Bhargavi Nilayam, based on Basheer’s Neelavelicham

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer is an emotion beyond expression for a Malayali. In the treasure trove of stories by this literary genius, one stands out – Neelavelicham .

Though only 12 pages long, it inspired the 1964 classic Bhargavi Nilayam – Malayalam cinema’s first horror-romantic-investigative thriller. It tells the tale of the playful but lonely novelist who rents a house in a village, ignorant of the fact that it is haunted. But he strikes up a friendship with the beautiful female ghost and sets out to find why and how she died, stumbling upon a tragic love story on the way. In fact, it was Basheer himself who wrote the screenplay for the film, which had legends like Prem Nazir playing the musician Sasikumar, Madhu the novelist, and Vijaya Nirmala as Bhargavi.

Almost six decades later, director Aashiq Abu has remade the Basheer-A. Vincent classic under the original title, with Tovino Thomas as the novelist, Roshan Matthew as Sasikumar and Rima Kallingal as Bhargavi. The name itself is a pointer to the era that has passed between the making of these two films. In the 1964 black-and-white classic, there was no way for Vincent to show the neela velicham (blue light) in the scene that is a bookmark in the film.

In 2023, Abu can and Abu does. The neela velicham and more. When the original story is as popular as this one, and so is the original film, there is only so much room to manoeuvre for a filmmaker, in a remake. Unless he deviates from the original. Abu doesn’t do that. Should he have done that, to bring in some novelty?

Neelavelicham is visually stunning, with some frames looking straight out of a Windows wallpaper collection. But that doesn’t mean they look artificial. Recreation of the 1960s is a difficult job, but full marks to DoP Girish Gangadharan for transporting the audience back in time effortlessly.

Another aspect that helps is the music. Bijibal and Rex Vijayan have recreated legendary M.S. Baburaj’s classics like Thamasamenthe varuvan , Ekanthathayude mahatheeram and Pottithakarna kinavu keeping the essence of the original intact.

It’s only in the second half, when the film goes into the flashback mode, that the pace drops a bit. Another dampener is Shine Tom Chacko as the antagonist MN, but it’s not his fault entirely. He has been typecast as the villain is so many films of late (his mannerisms, too, haven’t helped), that, at times, it’s difficult to differentiate one character from another. Tovino essays the novelist well, with his signature charm and restraint. Even Rima doesn’t go overboard both as Bhargavi, and later as the ghost. Matthew as Sasikumar, too, puts in a nuanced performance, and his innate innocence lends a soothing touch to his romance with Bhargavi.

In fact, their romance might seem cheesy in today’s times, but there’s a certain old-world charm to it. Thankfully, there’s not much forced melodrama to stay true to the age that the film represents.

But mind you, it’s not all lovey-dovey throughout the film. It’s a horror film, after all (the jump scares work)! Minus the sinister laughs and the howls of the jackals, though.

P.S.: There’s a reason why Bhargavi the Ghost wears only white. Wish all the other female ghosts in Indian cinema learnt from her!

Film: Neelavelicham

Language: Malayalam

Director: Aashiq Abu

Cast: Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal, Shine Tom Chacko and others

Rating: 3.5/5 

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Neelavelicham Movie Review: This Tovino-starrer is a visually-stunning tribute to Bhargavi Nilayam

Nelavelicham by director ashiq abu is a faithful remake of the 1964 film. however, the second half could have been better written, says our review..

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• Neelavelicham is directed by Ashiq Abu.
• The movie is a remake of the 1964 classic Bhargavi Nilayam.
• The horror film stars Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal and Roshan Matthew.

Release Date: 20 Apr, 2023

Horror films, like the ghosts themselves, each bring a unique experience to the viewer, but Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s Bhargavi Nilyam (1964) is in a class of its own. There have been other attempts to recreate a similar experience in Malayalam cinema over the years and none have stood it – except for director Ashiq Abu’s Neelavelicham (Blue Light) now. Ashiq Abu clearly had his own vision and interpretation of Basheer’s film and it’s a beautiful tribute to the original, to say the least.

As seen in the original, we meet writer Tovino Thomas, the writer who rents Bhargavi Nilayam to write a novel. He hears the story about a young woman, Bhargavi (Rima Kallingal), her love story with Saskimar (Roshan Matthew), her untimely death and how she haunts the mansion. He starts to write a story piecing together the information from locals. The writer is also battling his own loneliness and heartbreak and writing Bhargavi’s love story is a form of catharsis for him as well. Did Bhargavi and Saskumar both really die by suicide? Why does she haunt the mansion?

At the outset, adapting a 60-year-old film to modern times, while retaining the look and feel of the 1960s, is not easy. Ashiq Abu has done a good job of changing the visuals (the sets and art design) aesthetically to suit the mood of the film. There are also no unnecessary jump scares in the film that would take away from the essence of this horror film. The music is a major highlight in this film, since that is what really brings this movie to life.

Music directors Rex Vijayan, Baburaj and Bijibal, have done an excellent job in providing a horror feel to the film, which mostly revolves around the house, especially in the first half. Music director M S Baburaj’s songs like Ekanthathayude mahatheeram and Pottithakarna kinavu are a delight to watch on screen in their new avatar. DoP Girish Gangadharan must also be appreciated for his camera work here.

Tovino Thomas, as the writer, brings the necessary gravitas required to play a desolate man who is searching for something in his own life. The first half of the film revolves around him and, given that most of the scenes involve just him, he has done a great job of pulling it off effortlessly. Rima Kallingal and Roshan Mathew, who take centrestage in the second half (flashback mode) deliver fine performances as well. Shine Tom Chacko (Nanukutty), who has played the antagonist in too many films now, just breezes through with this role.

The actors have given very subtle performances and even their emotions (whether love, anger or loneliness) are conveyed subtly (maybe too subtly?) – it’s only in one scene that we see Nanukutty really have an angry outburst. The second half, though, could have been better written to make it as captivating as the first.

Neelavelicham is pretty nostalgic since it takes us back to a different era in cinema where lovers spoke standing on two sides of the wall and exchanged letters surreptitiously; where songs were quaint and melodious; and where the ghost wore only white to show that she was a ghost. Ashiq Abu has tried not to deviate too much from the original story and take creative liberties and it’s debatable whether this was a good move or not. Neelavelicham is a faithful remake of Bhargavi Nilayam, but the director and actors have given it their own stamp as well. Published By: Latha Srinivasan Published On: Apr 21, 2023 --- ENDS --- ALSO READ | Tovino Thomas meets Captain Cool MS Dhoni, says 'fortunate to have had this opportunity'

'Neelavelicham' review: A competently made, visually inventive reimagining

Although I had read Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s short story that served as the basis of Neelavelicham, I decided before watching the remake that I wouldn’t revisit the original screen adaptation, Bhargavi Nilayam (1964), a cinematic expansion, from Basheer’s pen, of his source material. I wanted to view Aashiq Abu’s film as though it were a freshly made film—fresh in terms of the overall visual approach, not the concept.

Given Bhargavi Nilayalam’s reputation as “Malayalam’s first horror film” whose influence spawned various iterations of this story in Malayalam cinema since then, I initially approached Neelavelicham with a bit of trepidation. I had some queries: What fresh spin can they give a familiar story? What version of the white saree-clad ghost would they present us? What appeal does this story hold for contemporary audiences? Would they retain the old-school dialogues and delivery? Now that I’ve seen the film, I must say that Aashiq Abu did quite a competent job.

Neelavelicham is all about the treatment. So what if it’s a cliche story? Aashiq and co. have embraced it with much confidence, one can tell. I assume this confidence probably comes from the knowledge that it’s possible to exercise much audio-visual creativity that wasn’t possible with the original film. Having Neelavelicham (The Blue Radiance) as the title would never work with the black-and-white version.

In the new adaptation, there are places where blue light fills up the screen, and it looks spectacular, as though someone immersed these scenes in the bioluminescent waters of Kumbalangi. Another spectacular sequence involves Tovino Thomas encountering a stunning mid-sea vision of Bhargavi’s (Rima Kallingal) apparition. More exquisite images appear along the way, but describing them would spoil the surprise.

Suffice it to say that Aashiq and cinematographer Girish Gangadharan (Angamaly Diaries, Vikram) manage to get the best out of the scenarios spawned by Basheer’s imagination on an anamorphic canvas. We feel the scale, the sense of the details populating every image, and the main character’s isolation in a space harbouring many dark secrets. I liked that they chose to have most of the scenes in the film take place at night.

The flashbacks of the romance between Bhargavi and Sasi Kumar (Roshan Mathew) have a dream-like quality to them, and aptly so. Take the picturisation of Rima, for instance. Bhargavi’s friends often treat her like a goddess/fairy, either referring to her as such or bowing in front of her. The camera, too, sees her this way. If Aaraam Thampuran had been released in the 60s, Bhargavi’s friends would’ve probably used the “kaavile bhagavathi” line.

What of her personality, though? Bhargavi is a woman capable of standing up for herself. She packs a punch (literally and figuratively), her tragic end notwithstanding. When the film begins establishing the chilling history of the ‘Bhargavi Nilayam’, the haunted mansion at which Tovino has taken up residence to write, the locals describe her as a ghost that hates “all men” on account of what happened to her. But we later learn that she doesn’t. The writer is an exception. The possible explanation is that he resembles her dead lover: both are writers, wear glasses, have the same facial hair pattern, and prefer the same attire. He also happens to be a sensitive romantic, a quality that becomes evident to her through his writings.

One image in Neelavelicham that connects it to another popular Basheer story—Mathilukal—is a wall that separates the homes of Bhargavi and Sasi Kumar. They are on either side of the wall when expressing their love for each other.  I see it as an alternate version of what happens in Mathilukal (story and film), where we only know the woman by her voice.

What happens in Neelavelicham is essentially a supernatural version of the Mathilukal situation: Tovino’s character and Bhargavi are separated by the invisible wall that differentiates the dead from the living. He talks to her, and she responds by appearing in animal form (cats, rats, snakes) or her ghostly vision. Interestingly, there is not a single instance where Tovino gets to see Bhargavi’s face clearly, except in a photograph.

Among the major improvements in Neelavelicham is the approach to humour. The loud and theatrical get ditched in favour of quiet and subtle. The film also manages to convey the style of Basheer’s writing, with the occasional use of English words. However, there are places where the delivery comes off as bland.  

To me, the more fascinating elements in Basheer’s story are not of the supernatural variety. It’s the idea of a daring protagonist who doesn’t think he has done anything to offend a woman like Bhargavi. Who doesn’t like a man free of insecurities? If he had a social media account, I imagine he wouldn’t get upset by a random woman saying, “All men are trash.” I also liked the idea of this protagonist presented as a cooler alter-ego of Basheer, with a dagger concealed in his belt, which comes in handy during a neatly staged climactic fight scene.

The casting of Tovino in this role makes sense because he conveys the necessary amount of sensitivity and gravitas this character demands. He has the aura of an intellectual perturbed by Bhargavi’s unfinished story. Tovino lends an air of disquiet to this man who behaves as though he too loved Bhargavi once, and now he should get to the bottom of the mystery no matter what. Also appealing is the idea of the novelist as a journalist/investigator.

Reflecting on the overall experience, I think I get what Aashiq was trying to do here. In 1950s Hollywood, filmmakers sought a solution to lure audiences away from their television sets to the theatres. Their answer? Dazzling Technicolor films shot in Cinemascope. 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.

Film: Neelavelicham

Director: Aashiq Abu

Cast: Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal, Shine Tom Chacko, Roshan Mathew

Rating: 3.5/5

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• What is the release date of 'Neelavelicham'? Release date of Tovino Thomas and Rima Kallingal starrer 'Neelavelicham' is 2023-04-20.
• Who are the actors in 'Neelavelicham'? 'Neelavelicham' star cast includes Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal, Roshan Mathew and Shine Tom Chacko.
• Who is the director of 'Neelavelicham'? 'Neelavelicham' is directed by Aashiq Abu.
• Who is the producer of 'Neelavelicham'? 'Neelavelicham' is produced by Aashiq Abu,Rima Kallingal.
• What is Genre of 'Neelavelicham'? 'Neelavelicham' belongs to 'Thriller,Horror,Romance' genre.
• In Which Languages is 'Neelavelicham' releasing? 'Neelavelicham' is releasing in Malayalam.

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Neelavelicham, നീലവെളിച്ചം.

Directed by Aashiq Abu

A young, enthusiastic and free-spirited writer arrives to stay in a desolate mansion, rumored to be haunted by the apparition of a young woman named Bharghavi who committed suicide when she was betrayed in love. The writer, who begins to pen her story, soon realizes that there is more to her tragic tale.

Tovino Thomas Rima Kallingal Roshan Mathew Shine Tom Chacko Pramod Veliyanad Rajesh Madhavan Abhiram Radhakrishnan Renji Kankol Jitin Puthanchery Nisthar Ahamed Pooja Mohanraj Devaki Bhagi Aami Thasneem Uma K.P James Elia Chemban Vinod Jose Rajesh Mohan Akhil Raj VA TV Renjith

Director Director

Producers producers.

Aashiq Abu Rima Kallingal Sajin Ali Pulakkal

Writers Writers

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer Hrishikesh Bhaskaran

Original Writer Original Writer

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer

Story Story

Editor editor, cinematography cinematography.

Girish Gangadharan

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Production design production design.

Jyothish Shankar

Stunts Stunts

Supreme Sundar

Composers Composers

Bijibal Rex Vijayan M. S. Baburaj

Songs Songs

P Bhaskaran

Sound Sound

Dan Jose Vishnu Govind

Costume Design Costume Design

Sameera Saneesh

Makeup Makeup

Ronex Xavier

OPM Dream Mill Cinemas Moonshot Entertainments

Alternative Title

Neela Velicham

Romance Horror

Releases by Date

20 apr 2023, releases by country.

• Theatrical U

134 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by brutalkangaroo ★★ 2

You'd think Irinjalakuda Muhammad Basheer would ruin the movie, and enter Roshan and Rima. Roshan was performing like he was held at gunpoint. Who knows what Rima was going for, definitely not Ashiq Abu.

Mathilinte appurathum ippurathum ninnu samsarikkunna scenes okke is a crime against cinema and is painful to watch. When he's about to leave somewhere and is saying goodbye to her, it looked like he was about to ghost her. Ithupole chemistry illathe abhinayikkan korach kashtappedanam. Mayanadi direct cheytha aal aan ee paranja scene okke direct cheythath ennorkkumpo chirikkano atho karayano ennariyilla. Shine Tom and Tovino had more chemistry and romantic tension than the supposedly divya pranayam.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Tovino was good. Pand…

Review by Cookie Is Dead ★★

It's such a pretty film to watch but oh god the sound design somehow ruined it 😶‍🌫️ and somehow they managed to successfully suck the charm out of the original one. The (non existent) chemistry between Reema and Roshan is so awkward to watch I swear Tovino and Shine had better chemistry. I wish I wasn't really ranting about this at 2 in the morning but here I am. 🥲👍

Review by NimmUwU ★★★

Entanavo, padam 'kollila' 'urakagulika anu' enoke paranjitu low expectations vechu kandatu karanamakan eniku itu veliya kuzaapam onnum toniyilla. Kuzapangal illa ennala but it definitely didn't deserve the cold response it received. Elavarum paranjapole pole making anyayamanu, direction and cinematography was top-notch. Itra kalam night scenesil hue kooti idunna paripadinu ingane nalla clever lighting usage is a massive leap for abukka. The set design and art are also well done, it really adds to that atmosphere. Padatinte main issue veranatu acting anu, itu velata oru miscasting nimishamayi. Tovino tried his best but could not capture what makes Basheer's dialogues special. Pulliyude our pretyeka style und, laced with interesting words, humor and body language. Ivide anel ichayan musclum pidich monotonous ayi nalla…

Review by _darkknight_ ★★ 2

Ehm…ok…this ain’t as bad as I thought it would be. 

Tovino really feels like he is in some college play, whereas the whole aesthetics are beautifully building this basheerian world. I like that they added the flower garden to the house.  The first hour with Tovino felt very quick in comparison to Bhargavinilayam. The old movie took a lot of time to spoonfeed “what bharghavi is” and there was a lot of slapstick   humor that felt unnecessary. Here…everything fast forwarded…it sets a good base to the forthcoming flashback. 

But then comes Mr. Monna and Mrs. I-Cant-Act-But-I-Can-Dance. Which was excruciatingly painful to watch… especially that awkward silence between them in the wall scene. Myr…the hell was that? And Ashiq even tried to…

Review by Deepak Chazhoor ★★★½ 9

Watched FDFS.

“നീലവെളിച്ചം എന്ന എന്റെ ഈ കഥ എന്റെ ജീവിതത്തിലെ അത്ഭുത സംഭവങ്ങളിൽ ഒന്നാണ്. സംഭവത്തെക്കാൾ നല്ലത് അത്ഭുതത്തിന്റെ ഒരു കുമിള എന്നു പറയുന്നതായിരിക്കും. ശാസ്ത്രത്തിന്റെ സൂചികൊണ്ട് ഇതിനെ കുത്തിപ്പൊട്ടിക്കാൻ ഞാൻ ശ്രമിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. പക്ഷേ, എന്നെക്കൊണ്ടു പൊട്ടിക്കാൻ കഴിയുന്നില്ല. ഒരുപക്ഷേ, നിങ്ങൾക്കു കഴിഞ്ഞേക്കാം; വിശകലനംചെയ്ത്, വ്യാഖ്യാനിക്കാനും.”                               - വൈക്കം മുഹമ്മദ് ബഷീർ

Not a patch on the  classic original . Still, a decent and loyal reboot.

Aashiq Abu plays it safe and smart; sticks to the original screenplay by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, and retains all the original, evergreen tunes by M. S. Baburaj. Humor is toned down and for good. Tovino’s casting seemed off the mark; performance lacks the streak of innocence brought to the table by Madhu in the 1964…

Review by Rahul Radhakrishnan ★★★ 3

കാലവും അതിന്റെ byproduct ആയ technologyയും തന്നെ ആണ് how this film stands out from the source material.

Padathinu vallaatha oru bhangiyaanu... കടലാസ് പൂവും, റോസാപ്പൂവും, ചെമ്പരത്തിയും ഒക്കെ കൊണ്ട് ബാർഗ്ഗവി നിലയം തന്നെ കാണാൻ നല്ല ചന്തമാണ്. Sound design anyayam thanne... Theatre il 11 aalukale undayirunnullu... Athond distraction illa. Above all I thank technology for that NEELAVELICHAM. neela color annathe kaalathu avark kaanikkan pattiyilla but now we can. Especially I loved this aurora kind of velicham.

Perfect aanennu thonunnilla. Casting ellam adapadalam... But naadakam pole enna thoughts kore kettu. Athippo ee padam kaanathe barghavi nilayam kandalum ith poleye thonnullu... But I still prefer the short story over both films since that ends with questioning the reader about reality

I got some kind of goosebumps or some energy flow from head to toe, when that beach scene where basheer meets barghavi happened🙏

Review by pavandasss ★★★ 3

“പടം എങ്ങനെ ഇണ്ട്?”

aesthetic ആണ്, പിന്നെ നല്ല cinematography ഇണ്ട്.

“വേറെന്തൊക്കെ ഇണ്ട്?”

വേറെ… നല്ല cinematography ഇണ്ട് പിന്നെ aesthetic ആണ്.

There was absolutely zero reason Neelavelicham needed another adaptation. This is the type of horror movies Malayalam cinema has been trying run away from for more than half a century or so. This also doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad either. The problem is that it doesn’t put anything new to the table except for updated technology. The miscasts of Rima Kallingal and numerous others didn’t help either. Tovino as Basheer was something I enjoyed tbh (obviously not as good if your benchmark is Mammootty’s portrayal of Basheer), despite all the hate it’s been getting. A couple of creative jumpscares were also a rare positive.

Review by Ashwin Dev ★★★

An adaptation need not stay true to the source material. Visually, narratively or structurally, artists have the right to alter and interpret the source material in any way they want, and there's nothing particularly noble about staying true to the original - even if Basheer himself wrote the screenplay. So, I wonder why the outdated romance in the latter half -which was passable at best even in the original film- is kept as it is. To clarify, it is not the details of the romance that I find outdated (cheesy romance is timeless as long as you have the right actors), but the plot involving the three key players could have been changed instead of relying on the boringly unhinged…

Review by tharun ★★★★★ 5

avasanam anarkanimisha'thile vari ollond valid asf

Review by 3to4t3o2d ★★★

would have been better if tovino and roshan swapped roles. i dig the approach they took towards this film. it never really tries to be anything more than what it was initially intended, the story is as basic as a love story can get. shots looked gorgeous throughout except for some overdone cartoonish vfx some of which even felt unnecessary. little details reminded me of the things i had read in the past, felt nice. feel like it would be a totally different movie if it was watched anywhere else than a theatre.

Review by prtk j ★★★½

watch it just for aashiq abu's frames. trust me. mis-en-scene ഒക്കെ ചുമ്മാ തീപ്പൊരി even though story is meh (even when I didnt have the expectation of it staying true to the source.)

Review by Nirmal

padavum prethavum

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• ENGLISH HINDI MALAYALAM TAMIL TELUGU KANNADA BENGALI  

Neelavelicham Malayalam Movie

Neelavelicham is a 2023 Indian movie directed by Aashiq Abu starring Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal, Roshan Mathew and Shine Tom Chacko. The feature film is produced by Rima Kallingal and Aashiq Abu and the music composed by Bijibal and Rex Vijayan.

A young, enthusiastic and free-spirited writer arrives to stay in a desolate mansion, rumored to be haunted by the apparition of a young woman who committed suicide when she was betrayed in love.

Director: Aashiq Abu Producers: Rima Kallingal , Aashiq Abu Music Directors: Bijibal , Rex Vijayan Background Music Composer: Rex Vijayan Song Lyrics Writer: P. Bhaskaran Sound Designer: Vishnu Govind Cinematographer: Girish Gangadharan Editor: V Sajan Art Designer: Jothish Shankar Original Story Writer: Vaikom Muhammad Basheer Action Choregrapher: Supreme Sundar

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Neelavelicham ( U ) 21/Apr/2023 Romance, Thriller 2hrs 14mins

Critics: 4 Panel: 0 User: 22

Overall: 2.8 from 26 users

Synopsis/Plot : A young, enthusiastic and free-spirited writer arrives to stay in a desolate mansion, rumored to be haunted by the apparition of a young woman who committed suicide when she was betrayed in love.

Director : Aashiq Abu

Music Director : Bijibal & Rex Vijayan

Cast More Cast & Crew (6)

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Critics Review

Staying true to the original, neelavelicham is a visual treat.

The re-enactment of the age old romantic trope in Malayalam cinema, lovers conversing from opposite sides of a wall, was actually cute and not over done or over dramatized, though the dialogues in that part were a little too cheesy. Girish Gangadharan's efforts behind the camera needs to be lauded. ... (more)

Source: Gopika, Times Of India

A well-executed adaptation that doesn't justify its redundant existence

The way he slowly starts cohabiting in the mansion with the ghost is strangely lovely to see. The interactions between the living and the dead throughout the first half become the memorable parts of the film, and that�s why the movie fizzles out post the interval, where such interactions become nil.... (more)

Source: Kirubhakar Purushothaman, Indian Express

Aashiq Abu's enchanting reboot of Basheer's quaint tale

Neelavelicham is a tribute to the great Basheer, with even the title page reading �Vaikom Muhammad Basheer�s Neelavelicham�. Such respect for a person of letters by a film is not common. So yes, I do wish Aashiq had taken the point of Basheer�s short story even beyond what the author himself did whe... (more)

Source: Anna MM Vetticad, Firstpost.com

This Tovino-starrer is a visually-stunning tribute to Bhargavi Nilayam

Neelavelicham is pretty nostalgic since it takes us back to a different era in cinema where lovers spoke standing on two sides of the wall and exchanged letters surreptitiously; where songs were quaint and melodious; and where the ghost wore only white to show that she was a ghost. Ashiq Abu has tri... (more)

Source: Latha Srinivasan, India Today

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