This is a time when hardcore horror movies (English) are being brandished about and interest in them at a high. Director Ranjith Shankar and all in the crew of ‘Pretham’ have been careful in projecting that the movie will fall in the comic horror genre and will not cater to the typical horror genre. The promos and trailers later on did underscore that fact. And lo! The movie is a fun ride with humour from the beginning till the end. ‘Pretham’ sure is a laugh riot which is a highly enjoyable ride.
What is interesting is that Ranjith Shakar has been able to maintain the momentum throughout with the situational comedies and a unique story line. It is after the much appreciated ‘Punyalan Agarbathis’ that Ranjith has created another thoughtful comic movie. The horror element of ‘Pretham’ is also interesting, though mild, catering to the taste of the family audiences. Though the idea of the term mentalist might be new foe viewers it is soon apparent that there are clear throwbacks to the iconic Sunny of ‘Manichitrathazhu’. The characters themselves allude to this. The story is all about three friends Denny, Shibin and Priyan played by Sharafudin, Aju Vraghese and Govind Padmasurya. They put in their whole, to own a seaside resort. All is well until they notice some paranormal activities which stand to jeopardize their dreams of making it big. It is at this juncture that the terrified threesome encounter a mentalist named John Don Bosco played to the hilt by Jayasurya. The story unravels from there as John tries to exorcise these ghosts.
While the first half of the movie takes the audience in hands with witty rejoinders and humour neatly interspersed in the narrative, the second half silently goes into the mild horror mode without much ado. The transition is smooth. Jayasurya as John Don Bosco gives an impressive performance with his quirky and intriguing demeanor. His looks too have been well taken care of in the movie. Sharafudin is impressive. His acting and sometimes what looks like improvisations all hit the right spot. Even his mumblings prove effective. Aju once again looks comfortable spicing up the comic quotient. Govind Padamsurya and Pearle Maaney have often been the butt of criticisms, but this time, they nail it right. Dharmajan and Hareesh Perady too gave neat performances. The technicalities of the movie too are well executed. Jithu Dhamodhar has been able to create that intrigue through his lens. Music and edits too are commendable. Director Ranjith Shankar has given a entertaining offering with ‘Pretham’. As is expected from any Ranjith movie, his signature social message, with the ghost’s back story is also effective. ‘Pretham’ is the right mix of a typical Ranjith Shankar movie and the novelty of the mentalist character brings in a punch to this humorous horror flick.
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