‘Elumale’ movie review: Punit Rangaswamy debuts with a gripping romantic thriller

Elumale (reportedly based on true events)is a romantic thriller and director Punit Rangaswamy has seamlessly blended both the genres in his debut effort. Powered by earnest performances from Raanna and Priyanka Achar, the movie is a triumphant product of a clever script.

Revathi (Priyanka Achar) tells a constable (Nagabharana) why she loves Harisha. Born into a big family, she was raised like a queen by her loving brother. Wealth is never a problem for her, but she realises patriarchy was the norm in her house when she meets Harisha (Raanna), who shows her the magic of kindness and selfless love. Harisha, a yellow-board cab driver, tells one of his passengers how he was smitten by the innocence of Revathy.

These two scenes, woven organically into the plot and conveyed with effective dialogues, proves that you don’t need an elaborate flashback to show the journey of two people in love. What’s their favourite hangout spot? How much do they trust each other? In a couple of phone conversations, you understand these little dynamics of their relationship. Punit’s treatment of the relationship drama ensures we aren’t distracted from the more thrilling elements of the plot.

Elumale, produced by director Tharun Sudhir,is blessed with an economical script that jumps smoothly from one plot point to another. In a cross-border love story, Revathy from Salem and Harisha from Chamarajanagara are set to secretly meet one night to start their new journey. The same night, a special task force is planning to nab a dangerous forest brigand (no prices for guessing who that is). Parallel to these episodes, a horrible incident sets a bunch of police officers on the run. There is also a group of terrorists with weapons, planning something nefarious.

There is so much happening in the movie, but you never get the feeling of watching a rushed product. The writing of Elumale deals with every scene with purpose. The movie is set against the backdrop of M M Hills, known for its jaw-dropping hill range and the ancient temple. The local festival, which forms an integral part of the town’s cultural fabric, is placed in a crucial scene, giving people the joy of watching a smart thriller.

Mostly shot at night, cinematographer Advaitha Gurumurthy’s lighting evokes feelings of fear and anxiety. The use of songs (music by D Imman) in the movie is another example of how a new-age filmmaker can reimagine old fashioned elements in a commercial film. Director Punit uses montage songs instead of the traditional, standalone numbers to keep us on our toes. If ‘Kaapaado Dyavre’ from Mangli expresses the pain of separation, the title track heightens the tension as the plot reaches crescendo.

Kishore in ‘Elumale’.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The makers are also conscious about the need for solid detailing. It’s a Kannada film portraying a district of Tamil Nadu, and people speak fluent Tamil as they should. The supporting characters look the part. Kishore and Nagabharana are perfectly cast. All ends get properly tied up in the end, and for a change, the coincidental events feel realistic here. Above all, Elumale doesn’t really suffer from the curse of the second half as it runs past the finish line with the same momentum as of the first half.

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Punit takes a love story between two simple people and mounts it as a technically solid, end-to-end thriller. Throughout the film’s runtime, we worry about the fate of the lead couple even as we are curious about every event that unfolds. This kind of intensity on screen is a superb achievement, considering how most directors fail to utilise interesting ideas.

Elumale is currently running in theatres