Farhana Movie Review

Nelson Venkatesan’s first two films Oru Naal Koothu and Monster were feel-good dramas that presented a new, unique factor in them. In his third film Farhana, the director tries to bring about a story of a woman who breaks out of her shell and wants to work, and the things that she has go across to get it done.

Farhana’s storyline is not just about what happens when a woman wants to go out for work, but what happens when a decision goes wrong and she falls into more trouble. Nelson’s story is very basic, and he largely builds his screenplay out of simpler moments. But somehow as Farhana starts moving deeper and deeper into its runtime, the film does feel like it is a thin line stretched far beyond its potential. The film would have done way better if it had used the same premise and opted for different choices on the writing table. The first half has a social drama angle to it, and is followed by the second half which takes the route of a thriller. The thrills too, arent solidly put up, and always have open ends in them. The finale of the film is abrupt, and has a cool closing rather than offering more value to the characters.

Aishwarya Rajesh’s performance is definitely the better one amidst her recent releases, and it works out better as she makes it a mature outing to fit into the role of the wife. Jithan Ramesh is a good pick for the role, and he does justice by playing to the needs. The cast also includes a good Selvaraghavan, and able support from Aishwarya Dutta, Anumol and Kitty are laudable.

With good music by Justin Prabhakaran and Gokul Benoy’s convincing work with the camera, Farhana comes off as a technically solid film.

On the whole, Farhana is a film without great shakes but still comes off as a good drama to watch in theatres this weekend.  Farhana Movie Review by Siddarth Srinivas

Farhana Movie Review Rating: 3/5