Rudhiram: Raj B Shetty and Aparna Balamurali are wasted in this superfluous thriller

There is a lot of awkward silence in Raj B Shetty and Aparna Balamurali’s new drama thriller Rudhiram. When it isn’t silent, it has screeching sounds that make us appreciate the silence. When it does not have screeching sounds, it has a lot of blood—a bid to justify the title—that makes us long for the noise. The film has a tagline: “The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.” It is difficult to contextualise why the filmmakers used this proverb for the film, but chances are high that one would find themselves siding with the axe—the right to forget—while leaving the theatre.

Rudhiram, written and directed by debutant Jisho Lon Antony, tells the story of the wrongdoings committed against Dr Mathew Koshy, played by Raj B Shetty, when he was a child. The violence remains with him, with his quest for revenge forming the rest of the narrative. Aparna, who plays the character Swathy, returns to the woods after the much acclaimed Asif Ali starrer Kishkindha Kaandam, this time not to investigate but to escape someone’s clutches. She has an adorable assistant in a dog named Piku, who has delivered an Oscar-worthy performance. A hard-working rat also plays a major role in carrying the film forward.

At one point in the film, Swathy traps the rat under a bucket and pokes a hole in it so Piku can see. In a memorable shot, captured to perfection by Sajad Kaakku, the camera zooms out of the frame, showing Swathy’s confinement and drawing parallels to the rat. The work by the art department also stands out. Shyam Karthikeyan has made sure to create an ambience that perfectly complements the mood of the script. 

However, it becomes evident that Jisho is attempting to mask the weak script with his directorial skills. The editing by Bavan Sreekumar often drags out certain sequences that didn’t require such elevation. One scene, highly inspired by the Hollywood classic Shawshank Redemption mixed with a grandmother story, will likely prompt a facepalm. Several such sequences make it seem as though the film undermines the intelligence of its audience. The less said about dialogue delivery, the better. The music struggles to keep pace with the film’s weak writing.

The film also tackles the important topic of sexuality, but it presents a lopsided and binary portrayal that risks reinforcing existing stereotypes against the queer community. Rudhiram is engaging when it positions itself as a survival thriller, but it becomes tiring and embarrassing when it turns into a muddled mix of confused philosophies.

Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.