'Antakshari' review: A nail-biting thriller with too many unanswered questions
What's the story
Antakshari is currently streaming on OTT platform SonyLIV. Starring Saiju Kurup, the Malayalam film turned out to be a nail-biter, as we had expected after watching its promotional videos. In short, Antakshari has all the elements one would expect from a smart thriller, but it had one thing that left us disappointed. Know what that is and also some more from our review.
Plot
What is the film all about?
Vipin Das, the director, sets the tone right from frame one. Antakshari starts with a teen getting abducted. Das (Kurup) is a police inspector who loves the musical game Antakshari to an extent that he uses it to even interrogate his prisoners. Apart from the teen, his daughter gets kidnapped, too. So, how does he rescue them using his tactics? That's the plot.
Significance
Usual plot, unique narrative
Throughout the first half, the sequences appear in a random manner. Scenes like a minor boy getting abused, a minor girl getting sexually humiliated, and a stepfather and his wife who remain silent spectator of his kids' struggles are sprinkled here and there. Though they appear disconnected at times, we understand Antakshari is not just about an abduction. It's about child abuse, too.
Negatives
One gets tired of the wild goose chase
Though you'd enjoy the guessing game for a while, it would soon tier you out because of its unnecessary abundance. We, for one, found ourselves surrendering to drawing conclusions altogether and just waiting for the story to unfold. But to our disappointment, some arcs remain unanswered. For example, the part where a girl and her friend bond over a guitar leads us nowhere.
Conclusion
Caution: Not for weak-hearted
Now, Das' direction is sleek though his screenplay could have been tighter. Bablu Aju's frames and background score by Ankit Menon are terrific. But, if the depiction of child abuse on celluloid leaves you shaken, DON'T watch Antakshari. Verdict: It gets 3 out of 5 stars (many loose ends within two hours and that too on a streaming platform brings the ratings down).