The second southern remake of the Bollywood smash hit Andhadhun is Bhramam. The film Maestro, which came out earlier this year, made me wonder what the point of remakes is when the producers have nothing new to contribute to them. I feared sitting through another rendition of Andhadhun after suffering through the Telugu adaptation. I was curious as to what unique perspective Ravi K. Chandran would bring to the audience.
Unlike the Telugu version Maestro, Bhramam's makers haven't tampered with the original's DNA by making it into a hero's journey.Bhramam, on the other hand, doubles down on the protagonist's amorality, injecting some much-needed originality into the narrative.
Also Read: Trolled for swimsuit pix, actress Vidyulekha Raman slams '1920 aunts and uncles
Ravi K. Chandran has shifted the power balance heavily in Ray Mathews' favour (Prithviraj). Unlike Akash in Andhadhun, Ray looks to be in command of the scenario that arises as a result of his eyesight loss. Ray has no moral justification for stopping Simi (Mamta Mohandas) and her beefed-up boyfriend Abhinav (Unni Mukundan). He is only motivated by a desire to survive and a desire to avenge those who have wronged him. There is no helpless woman in the corner, like we saw in Maestro, waiting for Ray to come in his dazzling armour.
Ray is much nastier than Ayushmann Khurrana's Akash. The original film told the narrative of a guy who pretends to be blind in order to protect himself from extraterrestrial temptations that could distract him from his music. Ray, on the other hand, impersonates a blind guy in order to take advantage of the social and economic privileges reserved for individuals with impairments. He is enraged that he was passed over for a teaching position by a less qualified candidate just because he possesses the gift of sight, which the latter does not. He's a lot nastier and more self-centered than his prior two versions.
Ray is so ruthless that he's ready to pay a high price for blinding him by publicly declaring his desire to harvest Simi's cornea for his own sake.
Ravi K. Chandran has also brought in a few twists that contradict our understanding of the plot. Ray's actual reason for claiming to be blind, for example. Alternatively, an unheroic character's parkour talents. There are small details that add to our enjoyment and even defy our expectations. These additional features also show that the designers were mindful of the need to innovate as much as possible with the material.