Boomika - A well-intentioned supernatural eco-thriller that captivates visually
In the recently released Netflix series, 'Navarasa' presented by Mani Ratnam one of the few films that grabbed the attention of the viewers is 'Inmai' starring Parvathy Thiruvothu and Siddharth. Ratindhran R Prasad who directed it has now come out with 'Boomika' a supernatural ecothriller. Will this direct to television and OTT film enhance the reputation of the filmmaker or not remains to be seen.
Samyuktha (Aishwarya Rajesh) is the mother of a speech-impaired child whose husband Gautham (Siddhu) takes them along with his sister Aditi (Madhuri) and a common friend Gayathri (Surya Ganapathy) to Ooty for a construction project. The group stays in an old palatial mansion now in ruins. Paranormal activities occur in the house including a repetitive phone call from a dead friend as they get trapped inside. What is the entity that is terrorizing them and why and whether they escape a gruesome fate or not is what 'Boomika is all about on the surface. But there is something deep below it.
Aishwarya Rajesh plays Sam the psychologist with her usual assuredness and the climax even gives her role an unexpected twist that no one sees coming. Debutante Gautham as her husband has also carried the role without much to complain. Surya Ganapathy as the nature-loving architect is quote impressive on debut while Madhuri is okayish. Avantika Vandanapu as the autistic girl 'Boomika' takes some time to convince the audience with her acting all said and done hers is more of a symbolic character that becomes memorable once the meaning behind it is comprehended. The actor who really steals the show is Pavel Navageethan as a man from the hill tribes who has not only nailed the slang but the body language too proving his calibre yet again.
What works best in 'Boomika' is placing mother earth as the central character and equating her with an autistic child which is nothing short of brilliance. The fact that the earth can take care of herself but its humans who have to escape her wrath is a need of the hour message that is driven home in the film. The graphics work is impressive in the supernatural entity design and the scene when the drawings coming to life. In spite of some early hiccups, the film is engaging in most parts.
On the flip side the mastery that Rathindran showed in 'Inmai' is missing here in the first half where the characters and backstory setups are made in a blatant fashion. The reactions of the characters to the inexplicable happenings are artificial and defy logic. The graphic depiction of the dogs and squirrels is awkward. The disjointed final product gives rise to the question of whether the intended script got filmed wholly.
Apart from the powerful theme, it is the cinematography work of Roberto Zazzara that by itself is enough to watch 'Boomika'. He has captured Ooty in all its natural splendor on offer and at the same time sends the shivers with the eerie mood as well. The editing, sound and other technical departments are on par.
Karthik Subbaraj who is backing offbeat films has produced this one which resembles his own 'Mercury' to a certain extent. Rathindran R Prasad is most definitely a filmmaker to watch out for and though 'Boomika' is flawed it does no harm to his reputation. on the whole, the film will satisfy those who are in for the strong message but may not appeal to those who perceive it only as a horror.
Verdict : Go for this visually splendid eco-thriller that has a much-needed timely message.
