Thriller or horror movies are a rarity in Tamil cinema. Even the little made are loaded with Computer Graphic generated visuals far from convincing the audience. Filling the void is 'Yaavarum Nalam'. All credit to director Vikram Kumar, who has come out an engrossing thriller in the lines of classic horrors by Alfred Hitchcock. An engrossing screenplay with no lagging moments bringing the audience to their seat-edges sums up 'Yaavarum Nalam'.
Madhavan, who the audience got accustomed watching him romancing the heroines and much recently bashing baddies, play a different role. He plays a male protagonist who strives to save his family from the hands of a super natural power. As a caring hubby and a loving son in a joint family, one can see a refreshing Madhavan. He looks dashing with his sophisticated looks. Looking at ease on screen, he is casual in his dialogue delivery and his body language. He bubbles with enthusiasm in the first half and brings out the frightened look well towards the climax.
Bollywood actor Neetu Chandra makes her debut in Tamil playing a bubbly young wife of Madhavan. Though she has nothing much to do in the movie, she does full justice to her role. Saranya, who plays Madhavan's mother come out good. She resembles women in the average household watching almost all the mega-serials that are being aired on the satellite channels. She sympathises with the character with innocence evokes applause.
Manohar (Madhavan), is a civil engineer who lives in a joint family. His brother (Hari Nair) and his wife (Ameetha) and Manohar and his wife (Neetu Chandra) live happily together without any qualms. The brothers buy a flat 13 B in a huge apartment. They move to the flat with their mega-serial addict mother (Saranya). Strange things start to happen as they occupy the flat. Manohar's image captured on his mobile appears distorted. The lift doesn't work when Manohar steps in. But he gets more shock when he watches a mega-serial `Yaavarum Nalam' on a private satellite channel. Whatever things that unfolds in the serial starts to happen in his real life. This hocks him. He comes across Dr Balu (Sachin Khanderkar), who speaks about paranormal things.
A curious Manohar sets out to find the mystery behind the mega-serial's story but is shocked to know that it was available only in his house. He with the help of a cop Shiva (Ravi Babu) begins research. The mystery gets unfolded. The sequences in the mega-serial are nothing but real-life incidents that happened three decades ago. The spirits of those who perished in a murder are back to avenge the real-killers. Did Manohar save his family from the spirits and who the real culprit gets unfolded in a riveting climax.
P C Sreeram's cinematography adds pep to the screenplay. Though shaky at many places, the tone and texture deserve mention. Tubbi Parik's background score is good bringing audience to their seat-edges. Neelu Ayappan's dialogues are crisp and simple. In the flip side, one wonders when Manohar can identify events on the serial with his daily life, how his family missed it out? Otherwise, it is a movie that is refreshingly different.
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