To Uyare & beyond!

Uyare is a movie that truly represents what a sensitive & well-written narrative can achieve.

Parvathy as Captain Pallavi Raveendran

ഉയരെ (Uyare) is a Malayalam film directed by Debutant Manu Ashokan. It features Parvathy Thiruvothu in the lead and Asif Ali, Tovino Thomas, Siddhique. It's a story about an acid-attack victim who gives you no reason to pity her but only root for her to succeed.

Expectations

Considering how much I bawled in Take Off and Koode (previous films of Parvathy), I went in with a pack of tissues. Which, surprisingly, I didn’t use at all? It was so heartening to see how sensitively the Writers portrayed Pallavi without giving us more than a second to pity her. Without a doubt, Pallavi will be one of my top few favourite characters of all time.

Narrative

I’m so glad that Pallavi’s strength and determination was so effectively weaved into the story without it seeming over the top. This, in my opinion, is where Uyare soars.

Govind, played by Asif Ali, is her longtime boyfriend who is an absolute pain in the ass. He deals with his insecurities by suffocating Pallavi with his dictatorship. While he has his vulnerable moments, he is sure to make you hate him even before the first half ends. The character is so well built up that when he eventually attacks her, you seethe with rage.

In addition to the fact that Pallavi's a sophomore, there were so many moments in the film that made her seem like my BFF since ‘98. Right from the scene that she has a clapback moment with her lecturer (#ItsAPersonalQuestion) to when she jams to Aankh Marey in the car with Sariya, her best friend. I think the fact that she was so real didn’t make me want to pity her but rather made me root for her to kill that little Son of a... . (Because Govind was being such a...) I swore a little too much while watching the film.

*Spoilers ahead*

Special Mentions - Scenes

The scene that definitely broke me was the one post-attack where Pallavi hides in the hospital toilet when Sariya comes to visit her at the hospital right after she removes the bandage on her face. The first time we see Pallavi cry post-attack is chilling. If anything, it shows us how much the actor must have thought through that scene to deliver what she did.

There's a scene post-interval where Pallavi dons another role. This is her first job post the attack. She struts down an aisle - imagine an isle, wherever it may be - with such oozing confidence, it would make you want to scream and cheer for her.

Special Mentions - Characters

For a movie with such a serious theme, I did not expect to laugh my ass off at any point. However, whenever Vishal (played by Tovino Thomas) had a scene with Pallavi, it would not fail to lighten the mood in the film. It has become such a RARE occurrence to watch a comedic scene that does not make fun of one's sexual orientation, physical appearance or gender. Even in the scene that Vishal passes a crude remark about Pallavi's appearance in the 1st half, we don't see any indication (e.g. background music) that makes it a joke. I am genuinely confused how most reviews have not acknowledged the crackling chemistry these two characters shared throughout the film. I just wished Pallavi could have had her cake (Vishal) and eaten it too ;)

Parting Thoughts:

Parvathy deserves all the love in the world for giving us Pallavi. Several articles have described how much of patience and pain the actor must have gone through to give us Pallavi - physically & mentally. For several reasons, Pallavi will be my favourite character that Parvathy has portrayed till date. For the fire she has, the quick wit, the exuberant beauty that shines from within. For that break up scene, for that clapback moment during lecture and most importantly the climax where she’s unflinching (& the co-pilot looks like he’s shitting bricks!) I can’t think of anyone who would’ve given us Pallavi so beautifully and portrayed the Writers’ (Bobby & Sanjay) vision so accurately. For Pallavi and most importantly for Parvathy, here’s all the love in my universe.

Useful links:

Article on the Special Effects Make Up in Uyare: https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/meet-prosthetic-artists-behind-parvathys-acid-attack-survivor-look-uyare-101293

Uyare Trailer: https://youtu.be/zXtf-vsb-tg

Uyare is running in local cinemas till the end of this week. Check out gv.com.sg or Carnival Cinemas Singapore for the showtimes!