Bharath gained a following in Telugu cinema with ‘Premisthe,’ prompting the release of his subsequent films in Telugu. However, none of these films met the expected success. Despite notable roles in Telugu movies like ‘Spyder‘ and ‘Hunt,’ he didn’t achieve a breakthrough. Recently, his Tamil movie ‘Miral,’ where he plays the lead, was released in Telugu with the same title after two years. ‘Miral’ is a horror thriller. Let’s see how this film, which arrived with little fanfare, fares with the audience.
Miral Story: Hari (Bharath) and Rama (Vani Bhojan) are a married couple who had a love marriage and have a son named Sai (Master Ankit). One day, Hari narrowly escapes a bad dream. Rama’s mother calls and warns them of danger in their horoscopes due to their marriage. She advises them to visit their village and worship their caste deity to ward off the danger. On their way back from the village, Hari and his family encounter terrifying situations. They discover that 15 years ago, another family traveling the same road died because of a vengeful spirit. The rest of the story follows how Hari and his family navigate and survive these dangerous circumstances.
Performances: The Telugu audience recognizes Bharat as a talented actor, but there’s an aspect they are hesitant to embrace. In ‘Premisthe,’ they appreciated his portrayal of an innocent character, but in ‘Miral,’ his role as Hari didn’t align with their expectations of him. Similarly, Vani Bhojan, who gained attention in Telugu with ‘Meeku Maathrame Cheptha,’ struggled to find offers afterward. While she performed well as Rama in ‘Miral,’ the role didn’t significantly boost her career. Apart from KS Ravikumar and Rajkumar’s characters, the rest of the cast lacked impact. The background score by Prasad SN was decent, and the climax was well-executed.
Technical Aspects: Many audiences haven’t watched the Tamil version of ‘Miral,’ but it received positive reviews in Tamil. However, it’s not a typical commercial movie, which might be why Telugu viewers have overlooked it, despite the option to watch it with subtitles on OTT platforms. Tamil analysts have labeled it as an experimental film, but the Telugu audience doesn’t see it that way, as similar storylines have been explored in Telugu movies before.
Director M Shaktivel’s work fails to leave an impression, and although some horror scenes, like those in the recently released ‘Baak,’ are well-executed and genuinely scary, they aren’t enough to salvage the overall impact. These scenes build anticipation effectively, with the cinematography contributing to the suspense. While the production values are decent, the dubbing appears to be a bit off for some reason.
Analysis: ‘Miral’ is a typical horror and thriller film with some well-executed horror elements. It’s worth a watch for those who enjoy horror, but don’t expect too many thrills.
Verdict: Overall Miral falls short of captivating its audience and turns out to be a dull experience. Despite Bharat’s commendable performance, the lackluster storyline, weak screenplay, and subpar dubbing make it a struggle to endure. Save your money and explore alternative entertainment choices.
Bottom Line: Horror Thriller
Rating: 2/5
