Another debutante John Robinson is landing with the new film 'Asha Black' which discuses how unaudited and uncontrolled Internet use can affect the young generation. Discussing valid messages including child abuse with rare sensitivity, it asks the parents to dedicate time to be with their children and to keep a tight watch over their social relations on the web. But as a movie 'Asha Black' lacks in needed entertainment quotient and the thrills that it aspire to be.
The movie has Arjun Lal, who admirably played Mohanlal’s son in ‘Thanmathra’, making a comeback playing the lead role. It also features Tamil star Sarath Kumar in an allegedly key role and is promoted as a full-fledged thriller. But on the opening days, it lacks the initial collections as the lead player Arjun Lal doesn't impress you as much as with his opening role.Sarath Kumar doesn’t get have much to do in a half boiled character and the promise of the thrills fails big time. So 'Asha black' ends up as a movie with noble intentions and compelling messages, which but fails in translation into a gripping movie.
The movie opens with the series of murders of unrelated men that take place in Kuala Lumpur. The only common thread is that there was an online friend ‘Asha black,’ who happens to on face book of all murdered man. But as the account is often terminated every now and then, locating her seems highly successful. Assistant Superintendent of Police Anwar Ali (Sarath Kumar) is called in to investigate the murders and solve it at the earliest, with a definite deadline.
As the identity of Asha black remains a mystery, and locating her becomes next to impossible, the scenes shifts to Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, where Rohith (Arjun Lal) and his friends in a music troupe are planning their new album. On a request from an anonymous friend on face book, Rohith very soon gets into a friendship with Asha black who use to come on a everyday basis for online chats. Rohit falls for her soon and lands in Malaysia to meet her in person on her birthday and to reveal her love for her. After looking for her for two days with the help of a cabbie(Manoj K Jayan) ,Rohit finds the girl of his dreams, who is a 17 year old student in Malaysia. But out of sheer disbelief, he realises something more than that about her. And here Anwar Ali’s and Rohit’s paths cross which forms the rest of the story of interesting proportions.
The highlight of the movie is definitely the base story itself, but the script spoils much of the freshness of the plot. ‘Asha Black’ opens in a slower note and only finds its needed pace in the later half. The lengthy online chats and slower frames does turn you off from the needs of a thriller. And when the two strings of the plot are blended together it feels convincing. But the overall the treatment asks for more meticulousness and even when cops are out to hunt, we don’t get the needed thrills to engage. These lack of edge of seat thrill elements are the things that may spoil the commercial party of the movie ..
In the performance side, Arjun Lal looks just ok. Sarath Kumar is in fewer scenes and garner interest, but doesn’t have much to show his mettle. Ishitha is good in the title role while the others in the cast just doesn’t impress much..
In the technical side, the cinematography is not bad and is actually colourful, but doesn’t have the needed feel and pace over it. The visuals by the director himself have excellent support from the art director Arkan Kollam who seems to have worked over time. The BG scores are loud but the songs by Jecin George are fine and excellently pictured.
Overall, this ‘Asha black’, will not be a movie that may be lapped up by all. An average movie at best, but with noble messages.
Rating-5.75/10
