It's almost 3 weeks since "Apothecary" had hit the screens & I happened to hear quite good reviews about it which naturally increased my curiosity. Finally I got to watch it a week back & though writing a review now wont make much sense, I still feel that since the script is based on the Medical profession I need to enlighten my colleagues as to what I felt about it being from the same background.
Dr. Vijay Nambiar (Suresh Gopi) is a renowned neurosurgeon of the multi-speciality Apothecary hospital, who had met with a fatal accident rendering him comatosed. As the doctors pondered over the bleak prognosis of his condition, one of his patients Subin Joseph (Jayasurya) pays him a visit. Though Dr. Vijay was oblivious to what was happening around him, Subin narrates his experience in the very same hospital when he was brought there to him for treatment. Dr. Vijay Nambiar had saved numerous lives in his career with his expertise which earned him a great deal of fame, prosperity & good will. But he was also forced to indulge in unethical medical practices at the behest of the hospital administration which proved to be a horrendous experience for the unfortunate few. Even Subin was a victim of this ordeal but will Dr. Vijay ever get an opportunity to rectify the mistakes that he had committed???
After having impressed one & all with his debut venture "Melvilasam", Madhav Ramadasan is back with a bang with an absolute beauty. The film delves into the psyche of the doctor & is interspersed with images from the after life. Madhav provides us with a peek into the business world of the Medical profession where a set of lab tests & scans are a part of standard procedure rather than absolute necessity. The screenplay cohesively lays out the story & we cant help having a lump in the throat at numerous instances. Equally impressive were Hari Nair's visuals & Sheikh Elahi's background score which is both enchanting and encompasses the mood of the film.
It's true that the script is the backbone of any film, but in order for it to make a lasting effect on the audience it has to be enacted by an apt choice of artists & Madhav has hits the bull's eye on that. After maintaining a low profile on screen for the past few years, Suresh Gopi has made a supreme comeback in a performance which will rank as one of the best in his career & his dialogue delivery in the climax was fantastic. The same goes with Jayasurya for his dedication to get into the skin of the character both physically & emotionally. If "Spirit" recongnised the actor in Nandu, then this film has done the same for Indrans as it showcased how brilliant an actor he is. Asif Ali in an extended cameo role has also done a commendable job. As for the rest of the cast, all of them have done their roles aptly.
Verdict: The film is slowly turning out to be a hit & truly deserves so. This portrayal is in no way meant to demean the Medical Profession or to categorize all hospitals and doctors of belonging to the same flock. As Jayasurya says in the movie "We always bargain in markets but never in hospitals"; it's high time that we as doctors dont succumb to such heinous practices & spoil the name of our noble profession. In short, if any of my friends have missed it especially my Medicine batchmates, you guys definitely have to check it out!!!
Rating: 4/5
Regards...Ben
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