‘Aashaan’ movie review: A patchily-written ode to cinema and strugglers

Once in a while, the film industry takes an inward look into the lives of those struggling to make it and the foibles and eccentricities of those who have made it. In Aashaan, to tell this story, Johnpaul George follows the film-within-a-film format used in movies like the memorable Udayananu Tharam. The stories of two men with a deep yearning to make a mark in cinema becomes its emotional bedrock.

Anandaraman (Joemon Jyothir), a visual effects technician, realises his wish of becoming a part of a film crew when he identifies a suitable location, a circular-shaped apartment complex, for a popular filmmaker (Shobi Thilakan)’s next film. However, to get that space, he promises the flat association president (Indrans), who has long harboured the dream of acting, a role in the film. This promise would have unforeseen consequences for the film, its crew and most importantly, Anandaraman.

Indrans in a still from ‘Aashaan’
| Photo Credit:
Guppy Cinemas/YouTube

Johnpaul George, who debuted almost a decade ago with the promising yet flawed Guppy and followed it up with a disappointing Ambili, has certainly widened his canvas in his third film. Yet, the strengths and weaknesses of his debut film continue to persist to this day, as evident in Aashaan. He really has the ability to effectively portray varied human emotions, although at times he goes overboard with melodrama. In Indrans and Joemon, he has actors with the necessary flexibility to make that seamless switch to capture the whole gamut of emotions that come into play while making a movie.

Johnpaul always appears to be averse to cutting much of what he has shot. Consequently, his films end up with a bit of flab. In Aashaan, too, he tries to say a lot — from the many inside stories of the industry to the difficulties of making it — and packs in a lot of characters. At times, one can feel the movie creaking under the burden it has taken upon itself. In those moments, the struggles of the hapless filmmaker of the film-within-the-film appear to mirror the actual process of making Aashaan. But at other moments, it strikes a chord with its earnestness, as does the film-within-the-film.

Aashaan takes its time to get into the groove. Johnpaul succeeds in serving heartwarming moments at regular intervals, which helps to an extent in tiding over the tediousness of some of the patchily written parts. The music department, handled by the filmmaker himself, goes a long way in enhancing the effect of these moments. The protagonist being a visual effects technician turns out to be a nice touch, going by the minimal and inventive methods with which the movie is made.

Indrans in a still from ‘Aashaan’
| Photo Credit:
Guppy Cinemas/YouTube

Quite a good part of the movie might be relatable to people within the industry, especially the toiling class of assistant directors who are, at times, at the mercy of short-tempered people with inflated egos. Aashaan certainly comes from someone who understands the struggle of making it, but that passion also makes him pack in a lot more than what should have been there.

Aashaan is currently running in theatres