The Arbit Documentation of An Amphibian Hunt: Aavasavyuham (2022) Poster

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8/10
What a unique story and experience
alphadude0077 August 2022
Shot in a mockumentary style, this film is super unique. The existence of a unique human set in the backdrop of a very mundane and unspectacular vypin is so rooted in reality. The weaving in of social comemntary like overfishing, land encroachment, unemployment etc also worked well. Nicely told story and a great watch. So happy to see this sort of work coming out of Malayalam cinema.
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8/10
A mould-breaking commentary on environmental conservation
nidhunmoviebuff5 August 2022
With the plethora of glitzy star-studded award shows prevalent in the Malayalam industry, one can forgive the Kerala State Awards jury for opting to reward smaller independent titles with the "Best Film" award in recent years, despite the presence of several hard-hitting mainstream projects. While 2020's "The Great Indian Kitchen" is the rare exception where an indie film got mainstream recognition and won the Best Film award as well, 2019's winner "Vasanthi" and now, 2021's awardee "Avasa Vyuham" are relatively unheralded, artsy ventures that deserve our attention, despite not getting theatre releases.

The Krishand R. K directorial follows a Rashomon-style narrative where we are taken through the life of a mysterious fisherman "Joy" through the perspective of the various people that knew him. Whether it be his original benefactor "Kochuraman" (MD Rajmohan), his ex-love interest "Lissy" (an excellent Nileen Sandra) or his arch-nemesis "Murali" (a hilarious Sreenath Babu), the accounts are put together with smart intercuts to paint a vivid portrayal of a man everyone agrees was quirky and weird, yet with a magnetic personality and a strange connection with the backwaters and its many creatures.

Rahul Rajagopal, most famous for his appearances in several "Karikku" videos, is captivating as the much-discussed "Joy", using his body language and expressive eyes to portray the complicated character with requisite gravitas and effectiveness. The intrepid filmmaker in Krishand throws convention to the wind, delving deep into multiple social, cultural and environmental issues and weaving them into the storyline at junctures you lease expect these themes to come in. The casting is spot on at every point, with Nikhil Prabhakar as "Plank", Ajayghosh as "Constable Valsan" and Zhins Shan as "Susheelan Vava" putting in impressive shifts alongside the primary characters mentioned earlier.

"Avasa Vyuham" is a strikingly original commentary on environmental conservation and the need for maintaining bio-diversity and an ecological balance, told with a unique narrative style that may not be immersive at all times, but is definitely contemplative and thought-provoking. Whether it deserved the Kerala State Award for Best Film ahead of 2021's mainstream masterpieces like "Joji", "Bhoothakaalam" and "Nayattu" however, is very arguable. Nevertheless, a recommended watch!

Version 2

With the plethora of glitzy star-studded award shows prevalent in the Malayalam industry, one can forgive the Kerala State Awards jury for opting to reward smaller independent titles with the "Best Film" award in recent years, despite the presence of several hard-hitting mainstream projects. While 2020's "The Great Indian Kitchen" is the rare exception where an indie film got mainstream recognition and won the Best Film award as well, 2019's winner "Vasanthi" and now, 2021's awardee "Avasa Vyuham" are relatively unheralded, artsy ventures that deserve our attention, despite not getting theatre releases.

The Krishand R. K directorial follows a Rashomon-style narrative where we are taken through the life of a mysterious fisherman "Joy" through the perspective of the various people that knew him. Whether it be his original benefactor "Kochuraman" (MD Rajmohan), his ex-love interest "Lissy" (an excellent Nileen Sandra) or his arch-nemesis "Murali" (a hilarious Sreenath Babu), the accounts are put together with smart intercuts to paint a vivid portrayal of a man everyone agrees was quirky and weird, yet with a magnetic personality and a strange connection with the backwaters and its many creatures.

Rahul Rajagopal, most famous for his appearances in several "Karikku" videos, is captivating as the much-discussed "Joy", using his body language and expressive eyes to portray the complicated character with requisite gravitas and effectiveness. The intrepid filmmaker in Krishand throws convention to the wind, delving deep into multiple social, cultural and environmental issues and weaving them into the storyline at junctures you lease expect these themes to come in. The casting is spot on at every point, with Nikhil Prabhakar as "Plank", Ajayghosh as "Constable Valsan" and Zhins Shan as "Susheelan Vava" putting in impressive shifts alongside the primary characters mentioned earlier.

"Avasa Vyuham" is a strikingly original commentary on environmental conservation and the need for maintaining bio-diversity and an ecological balance, told with a unique narrative style that may not be immersive at all times, but is definitely contemplative and thought-provoking. Whether it deserved the Kerala State Award for Best Film ahead of 2021's mainstream masterpieces like "Joji", "Bhoothakaalam" and "Nayattu" however, is very arguable. Nevertheless, a recommended watch!
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9/10
A gem 💎
sasankbhv7 February 2023
I am a cinephile and I watch atleast one movie per day,as a part of it I got to know about this Malayalam movie as a suggestion. I searched this movie in Google and the poster looked so interesting, so immediately i downloaded the movie. I started watching the movie and from scene to scene the movie was running so interestingly and finally the climax was mind blowing. The cinematography of the movie was so good and the actor as main lead was brilliant,his performance and his looks are backbone of the movie. It was a new kind of movie upto now I didn't saw that kind of film,the directors experiment became a success, every cinephile should must watch this film.
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10/10
When arthouse meets entertainment
avmn22 March 2022
Saw this at the IFFK screening where i went in with not knowing what to expect - and i got out of the theatre with a rare sense of joy.."what did i just witness!". An intricate storyline that has multiple visual styles. A realistic film studded with surrealist elements almost reminiscent of Donald Glover and Hiro Murai's acclaimed series Atlanta. A bold social commentary underlines the plot at every turn and it fails at none. Made in a semi-documentary style (similar to character interviews in the Office series) and thriller & comedic elements throughout the runtime made it an exciting watch. A bit sad that this isn't widely accessible outside the film festival circle and even then only screened at select few festivals- more people need to be able to watch this gem!
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10/10
It's a Masterpiece
thampiserr3 August 2022
Avasavuham is the first film I've seen this year, and I'm very satisfied with it because, this film was shortlisted for this year's IFFK International Competition and I saw it at a preview show for the cast and crew the other day. It's a second contribution of Krishand to the Malayalam film industry, unlike his previous film it has huge amount of Commercial dimensions.

The film tells the story of a young man named Joy and those who live around him, those who love him, some who use him for their interests, and some who hate him. In addition, the nature in which Joy lives is an important character in this film. It tells the story of a habitat that includes nature, man, religion, and science.

The main doubt I had in this movie was which genre it should be included in,Avasavuham starts as a realistic drama movie, It later became a political satire on the powerful politics of nature, Eventually they come to a Sci Fi element. Similarly, Nowadays, the media, religion, politics, science, and man all have a cohesive system. The director has integrated this film in such a way that it connects at the end and is a topic that we have not seen for a long time but needs to be discussed a lot , I must say that the Director was completely successful in it. With his very talented cast and crew, Cinematography and the art department was top-notch, so as the actors Rahul Rajgopal, Zhinz Shan, Nileen Sandra, Geethi Sangeetha and Sreenath Babu played their roles beautifully To make this movie not an ordinary one. Avasavuham is the film that progress through different modes of story telling and Majical realism , This film can be said to have changed the face of independent films and bring of two Awards in Iffk 2022. Avasavuham is the 'Best Film' award-winner at the Kerala State Awards 2022.
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10/10
A one of a kind classic.
plumeriamovies5 August 2022
This movie is a real gem. Cinematic experimentation at its best. On the lines of Super Deluxe, Jallikattu, Churuli. Pictured with great skill.

+ves: Director Krishand and everybody -ves: Not everybody's cup of tea.
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8/10
Absolute genre-bender with an interesting plot and presentation! [+77%]
arungeorge139 August 2022
I sat down for Aavasavyuham with little to no idea on its plot, visual structure, or performers. But as the film progressed episodically, my interest levels peaked. Told in the style of a mockumentary (not seen before in Malayalam cinema), one finds it difficult to place Aavasyavyuham under a specific genre, simply because it dips its feet into so many, yet convincingly. It's a social satire, a science fiction, a crime drama with fantastical elements, and so much more - a true genre-bender. While the lessened budget proves to be its only undoing in certain scenes which could have left a greater impact, the makers still pull off something truly remarkable. I feel that's a major reason behind not releasing the film theatrically - its visuals, especially, would've been talked about a lot more. Rahul Rajagopal, whom I recall from Karikku is splendid in the lead role. Maybe, not everyone would enjoy the film's occasional dive into environmental conversation and preserving ecological balance, but I loved how director Krishand seamlessly incorporates this into the plot. Aavasavyuham is a must-watch!
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7/10
A textbook mockumentary cinematic experience
toby_philips8 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Textbook/mockumentary movies are not new-fashioned, but the theme is a whole new experience in Indian cinematic terrain 3 sub plots bound in 3 chapters. A mermaid in a human form, influencing a bevy people living in dire circumstances touching their lives is indeed an intriguing plot. The movie is mirror reflecting some discussable socio- environmental issues with frequent faunal narratives build ups the amplitude of the centre character. However, there are certain lose ends owing to some directorial slip such as the dialect characters speak, amateurish acting of supportive characters that can bypass. What I loved the most about the storytelling is the makers instead making it a Hollywood/Bollywood cosy surrealistic Disney movie they made it real raw in its form with no CGI. Overall, it's indeed worth a watch.
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8/10
Masala flavour in an artsy experiment
Jithindurden4 August 2022
I can't recall a Malayalam movie that successfully used a mockumentary structure before. Even though it is also a sci-fi and a social satire, it is never chained to any of these genres. Usually, when Malayalam movies take such an experimental route for the industry, it is expected to be slow artsy movie, here this is as commercial as such a film can get. It is an entertainer from the very first minute. It shows the limitation of its budget in certain aspects of filmmaking which is the only reason I couldn't give it another half star. The same limitation in casting is the only reason I can think of why the makers decided to do an OTT release without so much of marketing. This would've been a great theater experience.
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8/10
Bruh, what...was...that?
TreeFiddy5317 October 2022
This was...something unlike stuff I've watched from Malayalam cinema. I'd say it's unlike any other Indian movie, but if it's unlike anything else in Mollywood, it's surely the case with the rest of Indian cinema.

This is a mockumentary style, under-2-hour, film about...the (human) nature, but it's also a fantasy, and the society, and the ecosystem, and it's a revenge story...I don't know...anything more to help explain the plot will potentially spoil it for you. It's several genres into one, and while films that try to do a lot usually fall apart real fast, this one didn't and for that, it's been winning all sorts of awards for Best Film/Screenplay/Director this year, and it's counting.

It's one thing to have a unique way to tell a story but it's a whole new ballgame to make this into a movie bc not everybody may get it...? This, dunno....you've got to watch it to get what I mean. You're either gonna find the storytelling in this one to be fascinating or as a film, this might go way over your head. There's only one way to find out. If you've seen it, I'd love to know your thoughts.
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8/10
Refreshing hybrid genre film Warning: Spoilers
A fascinating mix of arthouse cinema and mainstream entertainer with again a hybrid genre consisting of scifi, mystery, thriller, fantasy and comedy and it's tropes and elements all utilized in a very genuius, intriguing and entertaining manner along with the genre switching done with extreme fluidity that it nevel felt stuck anywhere throughout the runtime.

The film was a compilation/set of chapters complete with prologue and epilogue and spanning over 8 years starting from 2015 and ending in 2023.

It's basically a lot of things.... it's a satire, a mockumentary, a good and intriguing myth story as well as a light and dark comedy and even more along with having a very on the nose social & political commentary and also raised awareness for the conservations of biodiversity and environment.

The performances were one of the biggest positives of the film as all of the primary artists involved(actors or non actors....didn't matter) gave such realistic, intriguing, amusing and engaging performances but it was Rahul Rajagopal as Joy who stole the spotlight from every other good performers involved.

The secondary cast members were convincing as well.

The light and dark humor present in the movie came in a handful of ways for me but mainly through it's characters, dialogues and when their words constantly contradicted with the visuals depicted.

The visuals were all so striking and the background scores elevated and helped in elaborating various scenes with effective efficiency.

No one conversation between two persons, a group or even a community really remains the exact same and when it travels through many a different persons outside of the duo, group or the community it loses its originality and becomes more and more artificial than real depending on who is telling the story.

Here too, the interviewees depiction of many events and a man of mystery too varied a lot evoking a sense of? Rashomon effect.

It was upon a rewatch that i understood that i missed the foreshadowing scene of the hunt for joy that was shown at the beginning as the hunt for a rare ficitonal amphibian called mysticellus joy lol.

Anyway Krishand's vision and oozing creativity for this mockumentary definitely demands for a round of huge applause as he had made something that would satisfy both the mainstream as well as the art house audiences along with giving a refreshing film and viewing experience to viewers everywhere.
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9/10
An avant-garde masterpiece
Ansango15 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
AAVASAVYUHAM is a mystical tale about a man named Joy, who seems to have a strangely potent connection with nature. The film is in 3 chapters all recounting different periods and follow Joy and his exploits, and culminates in a bombastic finale where he turns into a weird frog-man hybrid. The transformation triggers a wild debate in media about science, history and religion while also creating a frenzy among locals. Parallel to this story is a relentless pursuit of a man who wishes to get revenge from Joy for his brother's death. All of this is presented in a mockumentary style with people, who lived with or were affected by Joy, giving their own interpretation of events.

From the get-go, it's a wild tale filled with mystical imageries, awe-inspiring camera work, brilliant score and intelligent writing. The mockumentary style makes for a great tool to intricately play around with ideas in a more concise manner. There are some great moments of humour, especially involving policemen, where the actual incident and the version provided by the police are in stark contrast. There is a great scene in the film where after beating some locals the police are now telling them that they were on duty but when off-duty they should live with peace and harmony and they are there for their safety. These scenes poke fun at our policing system in a very funny way.

The fishermen who fish to earn their daily bread are restricted while the factories which pollute the sea and endangers the wildlife is given the permission to run, by the government, in the name of development. It's the ultimate irony and one that isn't far from reality, and the film doesn't shy away from commenting on such real world events through its fictional lens.

The intercutting of Joy's track with the interview of people and scientists prods on the themes of nature conservation and the complex relationship between man and nature. In fact, nature conservation is the core of this film and the whole story is masquerading as a desperate attempt of survival of a specimen in the relentless world of humans.

Not everything is rosy and there are some minor faults too. The arrest of Joy and the whole police station track is stretched too much. His sudden transformation and the absurdity and head-on fantasy of the third act are in a stark contrast to the mystical tone of the initial 2 acts. That's why the third act feels a little out of place on a holistic level.

This is a great film with an extremely novel approach to its story structure. I think it's one of the most unique and daring film coming out from Indian cinema this year. I am absolutely enamoured by it. No matter whether you're a serious film aficionado or a casual watcher like me, this film is a must watch for everyone.
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10/10
craft..!!
vineshkv-2839417 August 2022
Its been weeks since I was at this flick and still not able to get a good grasp on how the protagonist Joy transmogrifies to a kind of merman.. i am sure it's not an easy task to convince the spectators..

the elusive but immersive ways of story telling grabs our attention towards the daily life stories of the world we live in and have no clue that we are also dealing with an amphibian that has life under water as well.. despite the affectative mentioning from lover Lissy that 'it smells like fish in his proximity'..

portraying the aesthetics of tropical terrain in vypin of kochi is a visual treat.. creative concerns of ecology is applaudable.. left with a profound experience watching this movie.. !!
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10/10
Genre Blender
nimiltom21 August 2022
Aavasavyuham is a fantastic movie that is framed as a mockumentary discussing some very important topic and politics....this explores the relationship between man and nature...its art and at the same time has the moments and ability to connect with wider audience as well....the background music helps in elevating the film and achieve this connection.. it has quality cinematography and some great performance..by the mysterious central character, actors who played lissy, vava...then geethi Sangeetha etc....its a simple revenge story on surface with a surreal treatment..but was able to convey the social commentry and politics without being preachy through a rich narration, which i really loved, wrapped with dark humour...This is a genre blender and an offbeat superhero movie which offers visual and verbal metaphors...
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10/10
Pushing film craft
samskarebyaha29 August 2022
Movies like this push film craft in different ways. What starts like a documentary moves in interesting ways bring out the characterisation and human emotions.

Unlike some of the pretentious leftist crap that get dished out every now and then in Malayalam & Tamil films, this one gives it real even to the activists who only mostly succeed in destroying anything good around.

If the amphibian went a about his life without mixing with the wretched activist communist, he might have got a good life eating what he wanted and also a girl who took to him. But, typically, if u get mixed up with such activists, your life will be ruined and society will continue with its ways.

Good film and good film making.
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