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Last Updated Wednesday November 25 2020 06:00 PM IST

'Pretham' movie review: Humorously horror

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Rolling out in the backdrop of a coastal resort, Pretham falls in the genre of a comic-horror drama with more humor than horror on the go.

And the film has what its title offers, a 'Pretham' or ghost. But it's the commoners like us and the three youths who run the resort who use words such as “ghost” and “spirit”. For John Don Bosco (Jayasurya), the mentalist, it's a "thought" - something with which he can communicate.

With uninterrupted humor, sometimes verbal and sometimes situational, and a pinch of fear thrown up here and there, Pretham has a neatly crafted first half. It revolves around Denny (Aju Varghese), Shyam (Sharafudheen) and Shibu (Govind Padmasurya), three old pals who quit their jobs to start the resort to live a free and happy life. But soon after the film starts, which is less than a year since they purchased the resort, the life there becomes a scary experience for them. They come across unusual experiences, in broad daylight and in the dead of the night.

Pretham

Also check: Will 'Pretham' scare you? Director Ranjith Shankar opens up

The drama enters the solution phase with the entry of John, the man who can read the mind of others. Is the resort really haunted? Is there the presence of an unseen being? Or is it a ploy by some wicked minds? The questions are to be answered by John.

Pretham

Pretham is a perfect mix of humor and horror, though the former outdoes the latter often. When it comes to the horror side, director-writer Ranjith Sankar makes it mild, perhaps to suit the interest of the common audience, mainly families, who form most of his audience. The horror sequences are not so scary but have the power to keep the flow of the script and the viewer engaged.

Aju, Sharaf and Govind offer moments of laughter through their verbal exchanges and mannerisms. Dharmajan Bolgatty, as the servant with a slew of doubts, and Pearle Manney, as a dance student, join them with the easiness they have shown in their earlier outings both on big and mini screens. With the storyline revolving around the youths and their adventures, some jokes are aimed for the adults. Sharaf deserves special applause for timely rendering of verbal and situational humor.

Pretham

Also read: Jayasurya's 'Pretham' movie: short review

Jayasurya plays the mentalist with the maturity the character deserves. Hareesh Peradi dons the role of a priest who too offers his share of humor to the narrative. The exorcism scene reveals another face of the actor who is known for his character roles.

Compared to the first half, the second half of the film, especially when it nears the climax, treads a different path. The narrative turns a bit emotional and points to some social issues - a typical character of Ranjith Sankar films. One may wish for more twists in the climax, but it doesn't happen. The director, however, holds the grip of the narrative tightly and ends the film on a neat ground, leaving the audience satisfied.

Pretham

Sometimes the humor doesn't fall in place, highlighting the portions that could have been trimmed. The title song in which Vineeth Sreenivasan attempts a duet in male and female voices is a pleasant experience. The director needs to be thanked for not inserting unnecessary songs though there were ample space for that. The performance of some supporting characters could have been better.

Pretham may be too light for fans of hardcore horror movies. But it will surely entertain those who go for a simple story laced with humor and a pinch of horror.

Rating: 3/5

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