The movie 'Autorsha' begins and ends with an Auto and in between one gets a glimpse of the life of autorickshaw drivers. But, the focus here is on a woman autorickshaw driver. Director Sujith Vaassudev and scriptwriter Jayaraj Mithran have a reason for choosing an auto and a lady driver. Although the three-wheeled autorickshaw is a weak one compared to bigger vehicles, it is one of the most used transport vehicles. On a similar account, a woman is often considered as someone physically weak in our society yet she is one who is strong with her decisions.
Anitha, in order to make a living decides to buy an auto and starts taking trips in a small town in Kannur. In the first half, we barely get to know her background other than that she's one positive minded lady who is ready to face any challenge in life. The movie then takes us through a group of auto-drivers and their daily life in the heart of a town.
The varied encounters auto drivers experience each day is entertaining and engaging to watch. As the narrative zooms in, it's refreshing to watch many lives presented realistically. The attention suddenly shifts to Anitha and her background and the movie ends rather abruptly and we realise 'Autorsha' is a revenge drama.
Anusree stepped into the Malayalam film industry at a time when strong female characters like Maya from 'Diamond Necklace', Tessa from '22 Female Kottayam' and Anuradha from 'Arike' were receiving much appreciation. Her debut role as Kalamandalam Rajasree in the 2012 movie 'Diamond Necklace' etched her into the hearts of the audience as a true entertainer. And now with her lead role in 'Autorsha', Anusree has proved herself to be a self-made actor.
She has delivered a fine performance imbibing all the emotions that a character can offer. She appears both strong and weak at the same time. There is a top shot which shows a few young boys looking at Anusree fighting with goons and no it's not the usual dishoom-dishoom scene as Sujith has managed to keep it as realistic as possible.
There are umpteen number of casts and all of them have justified their roles. A special mention to BGM by Sejo John as it gels well with the situations. But, the feel that the movie offered in the first half was missing in the second half and the end seemed like one done in haste.
A simple tale, 'Autorsha' is the story of a girl who fights to survive rather than end life. Without any wow moments, this revenge drama is definitely watchable.
