It's been a hectic month in which I was virtually drowned with various commitments on a personal & professional level. However, that didnt quite deter me in checking out movies, though I have to admit that I barely found time to pen down my thoughts about them. Ever since I reached home a fortnight back, I would have watched a handful of movies after all it's been ages since I got to watch Malayalam in the theatres in my hometown. Quite a few of them really impressed me, so was Prithvi's "Nine" one among them???
The film unfolds with the news that a comet is on collision course with our planet. Though it wont be catastrophic, the effects of the event will disrupt life on earth for nine days as electricity wont be accessible to mankind. As expected, this creates widespread fear across the globe as people rush to stock supplies on the assumption of worser repercussions. Dr. Albert Lewis (Prithviraj) was an astrophysicist who along with his research team had been keeping a close eye on the cosmic event from their research facility. It was at this juncture that Albert's mentor Dr. Inayat Khan (Prakash Raj) asks him to work along with him to document the event from a perfect vantage point nestled in the Himalayas. Albert accepts the offer & takes his son Adam (Alok ) as well along with him. Though Albert adored him, he was bothered about the fact that Adam was looked upon others as a problem child & an evil omen. Their relationship is put to the test when an unwanted guest & a series of chilling incidents unfold during the nine days that the planet is plunged into darkness. So was this celestial event just as harmless as it seemed???
This project has been in the news for a while as it was the debut venture of Prithviraj Productions and the first regional Indian film production & distribution of Sony Pictures. This is Jenuse Mohammed's second venture after "100 Days of Love" & he has penned the script as well which is a concoction of various genres like sci-fi, horror and psycho thriller. There is no doubt that the movie has come out brilliantly as all the technical aspects were top notch be it Abhinandan Ramanujam breath taking visuals, Sekhar Menon's BGM (while Shaan Rehman's music wasn't catchy & felt misplaced) or the brilliant VFX of the comet etc (which usually looks amateurish in Malayalam movies). If at all it falters then it's in the manner in which Jenuse decided to conclude the movie as it was hurried & the revelation in the end lacked the knockout punch.
On the performance side, Alok & Wamiqa Gabbi was fantastic & did utmost justice to their roles. The former's expressions conveyed his emotions so effectively while the latter spell bounds us with her beauty as well as spookiness. Prithvi's performance didnt have much to talk about early on & felt like restrained. However, towards the end we get to understand the complexities in his character & that's when we really appreciate him. As for the rest, Prakash Raj was apt though it barely challenged him while Mamtha was ok though I felt she wasnt quite the right choice for the role.
Verdict: There is no doubting the effort that Jenuse & Prithvi has invested in making a movie that is on par with global cinema. However, the script especially the climax portion will not be able to satiate the audience. In short, it punches way below its weight but definitely worth a worth!!!
Rating : 3/5
Regards...Ben
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