Is Neelavelicham based on a True Story? Ending Explained Here
by Rubaditsha | Updated Apr 24, 2023
Is Neelavelicham based on a True Story?
Neelavelicham, the literary work by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, is based on a tale. The article mentions that the story is a work of fiction and that it tells the tale of a playful but lonely novelist who rents a haunted house and befriends a female ghost. It then goes on to describe the 1964 film adaptation of the story, as well as the 2023 remake, but there is no mention of the story being based on a true event or person. Therefore, it can be assumed that Neelavelicham is a purely fictional work.
Neelavelicham Review
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer is a revered figure for the people of Kerala, and his writing evokes strong emotions in them. Among his many works, "Neelavelicham" is a standout story that inspired the 1964 classic "Bhargavi Nilayam," which was Malayalam cinema's first horror-romantic-investigative thriller.
The story follows a novelist who rents a house in a village and becomes friends with a female ghost, whom he discovers died tragically. Basheer himself wrote the screenplay for the film, which starred legendary actors like Prem Nazir, Madhu, and Vijaya Nirmala.
In 2023, director Aashiq Abu has remade the classic film under the same title, with Tovino Thomas playing the novelist, Roshan Matthew playing Sasikumar, and Rima Kallingal playing Bhargavi. The film's name pays homage to the original era in which it was made, and Abu has brought a modern touch to the film, including the visually stunning portrayal of the "neela velicham" (blue light) scene that was not possible in the original.
The film's recreation of the 1960s is impressive, thanks to the work of DoP Girish Gangadharan. The music, composed by Bijibal and Rex Vijayan, captures the essence of legendary composer M.S. Baburaj's classics, including "Thamasamenthe varuvan," "Ekanthathayude mahatheeram," and "Pottithakarna kinavu."
While the pace slows down in the second half when the film goes into flashback mode, the performances of the actors remain strong, with Tovino Thomas and Rima Kallingal both delivering nuanced performances. The romance between Sasikumar and Bhargavi may seem cheesy to some, but it has an old-world charm that fits the era in which the film is set.
Despite being a horror film, there is not too much melodrama, and the jump scares are effective. The only minor letdown is Shine Tom Chacko's portrayal of the antagonist MN, as he has been typecast in villainous roles in recent films. Overall, "Neelavelicham" is a visually stunning and emotionally engaging remake that pays tribute to Basheer's original story and the classic film it inspired.
Neelavelicham Plot
The movie begins with an unidentified individual entering an abandoned mansion at night, only to be frightened off by a ghostly figure in the darkness. Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (played by Tovino Thomas), a famous author, arrives to stay at Bhargavi Nilayam, a mansion located in a village.
As Basheer enters the house, the locals watch in shock, and he finds it to be completely dusty, indicating that no one has stayed in the house for a long time. He starts cleaning the house as he has no other place to stay. Later, he goes to a restaurant to have food and tries to get meals delivered to his house, but the owner says they can't be delivered.
That evening, Basheer goes to meet his friends, and they explain why everyone is afraid of the mansion. In the 1950s, a girl named Bhargavi committed suicide by jumping into a well. People believed that her ghost still resides in the mansion, which is why they are afraid to go near it. However, Basheer disregards their warnings and starts talking to Bhargavi's ghost.
The next day, everyone is surprised to see Basheer alive, as they thought the ghost had killed him the previous night. Basheer decides to write a story about Bhargavi and discovers a box containing a picture of her, a strand of curly hair, a piece of newspaper discussing a dead body found on a train, and a love letter to Bhargavi written by Nanukuttan.
As he uncovers more facts about Bhargavi's death, he realizes it may have been murder instead of suicide. One night, as he writes, the kerosene in his lamp runs out, so he goes to his friend's house to refill it. When he returns home, the entire house is filled with an extremely bright, blue-colored light.
The story then flashes back to Bhargavi, a talented college student who approaches her neighbor and singer, Sasi Kumar, to play the sitar for her college youth festival. They practice together and develop a romantic relationship. However, Narayanan, Bhargavi's cousin who is infatuated with her, plans to marry her and doesn't like other men getting close to her.
He confirms that Bhargavi and Sasi Kumar are in a relationship and later writes a letter to Bhargavi, stating he will do anything to marry her. The same letter is discovered by Basheer in the box, and Narayanan is revealed to be Nanukuttan. One evening, Sasi Kumar boards a train to Lucknow due to political issues rising in the village.
Narayanan accompanies him on the train, giving him bananas that Bhargavi allegedly sent him. As Sasi Kumar eats the bananas, he starts having difficulty breathing, and Narayanan refuses to give him water. It is revealed that Narayanan is responsible for Sasi Kumar's death, having poisoned the bananas.
Neelavelicham Ending Explained
Aashiq Abu and cinematographer Girish Gangadharan have done a great job in bringing Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's imaginative scenarios to life on an anamorphic canvas in the movie Neelavelicham. The movie's treatment is the highlight, and the confidence with which Aashiq and his team have embraced a cliche story is evident.
The movie offers some stunning visuals, with blue light filling up the screen, and Tovino Thomas encountering a mid-sea vision of Bhargavi's (Rima Kallingal) apparition. The flashbacks of the romance between Bhargavi and Sasi Kumar (Roshan Mathew) have a dream-like quality to them. Aashiq and Girish have managed to get the best out of the scenarios created by Basheer's imagination on an anamorphic canvas.
Bhargavi's personality is strong, and she is capable of standing up for herself. The movie offers a supernatural version of Basheer's Mathilukal, where the wall separates the dead from the living. The humour in the movie is subtle, and the occasional use of English words conveys the style of Basheer's writing. However, the delivery comes off as bland in some places.
Is Neelavelicham based on a True Story: FAQs
Neelavelicham is a Malayalam movie directed by Aashiq Abu and is a remake of the 1964 film Bhargavi Nilayam, which was based on a short story by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer.
Aashiq Abu is the director of Neelavelicham, and Girish Gangadharan is the cinematographer.
Neelavelicham is a supernatural story about a haunted mansion named Bhargavi Nilayam, at which a writer takes up residence to write. The ghost of a woman named Bhargavi, who was wronged in the past, haunts the mansion and makes herself visible to the writer.
The overall visual approach of Neelavelicham is fresh and embraces audio-visual creativity that wasn't possible with the original film.