A young woman, who works as an architect in the morning and a theatre artist at night, is molested when she along with the troupe stays at a resort in Fort Kochi. What happens after is a strange, distorted journey to unravel the truth. But instead of a real court, her 11 co-actors, all men, form their own court to get to the bottom of the matter.
But in the process, is the purpose served? Does the victim truly feel redeemed? Debutant Anand Ekarshi's powerful movie Aattam is a thoughtful, well-constructed story that is perfect for present times. When a woman is abused, how does society react? Do the men choose to side with the abuser and try to blame the victim?
Though Mollywood has churned out several films on sexual abuse trauma and the course of action taken after, Aattam stands out for its unique approach and storytelling style. Without sensationalising the issue, Ekarshi unmasks people and their mindset by placing them in a complicated situation.
He does not arrive at a conclusion, but rather pinpoints in the right direction. Movies on drama troupes are excellent settings for good stories and Aattam too is no exception. The film starts by showing all the artists coming together to stage a play. All of them have different professions. If one is a cook, the other is a plumber. Just like their two professions, all of them have two sides, which is often covered in a mask.
The movie also uncovers ego in perfect measure. Vinay (Vinay Forrt) is unhappy with the director's decision to cast Hari ( Kalabhavan Shajon) as the hero of the play. His hurt ego gets the better of him and when his girlfriend and theatre artist Anjali (Zarin Shihab) reveals she is molested, he takes hasty decisions. Anjali, the sole woman in the troupe, is a powerful representation of the hurt, abused women who are forced to justify themselves every time.
Though Anjali is capable of defending herself, she becomes helpless when those who choose to fight for her, play it according to their whims and fancies.
All the actors play their roles perfectly. Vinay Forrt, who is charting new territories as an actor, delivers an exceptional performance as the insecure actor and uptight boyfriend in 'Aattam'. It feels like Vinay has found a comfortable space between commercial and art-house movies.
Zarin Shihab, who has acted in a few Malayalam movies, has nailed her role as Anjali in 'Aattam'. Zarin embodies Anjali's frailties and strength with a certain ease that is so refreshing to the eye. Kalabhavan Shajon shines as Hari, the character who is accused of the crime.
The movie opens and ends with a play, the latter powerfully and beautifully told. After all, all the world's a stage and everyone goes on their lives living with a mask.
