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Aamis (2019)

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If I had one word to describe what this movie felt like, it would be ecstatic.

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Language: Assamese.

Director: Bhaskar Hazarika

Writer: Bhaskar Hazarika

Cast : Lima Das, Arghadeep Baruah, Neetali Das .

Genre: Drama, Horror.

IMDb : Ravening (2019)

Streaming on Movie Saints.

Also known as : Ravening (2019)

Disclaimer: Aamis a.k.a Ravening (2019) is an amazing  and unconventional film, that is not intended for kids, and for the faint-hearted.

If I had one word to describe what this movie felt like, it would be ecstatic. Regional cinema has always been criminally underrated in India and although movies from the southern states are slowly catching up, the cinema from the seven sisters of the northeast has rarely got the limelight. Bhaskar Hazarika’s Aamis is one of those unconventional gems, a bold and experimental move in cinema, something that we seldom get to see.

The characters are relatable and there is a sort of connection that we feel from them, a feeling of comfort. Sumon, a PhD student doing his thesis on the patterns in consumption of meat in different regions of northeast India (Aamis translates to non-veg in Assamese) and Nirmali, a married paediatrician with a kid who is somewhat unhappy with her marriage but is adjusting like the majority of Indians. Both the principal characters play their roles spectacularly and with such ease that it is impossible to take our eyes off the screen. Lima Das who plays Nirmali is beautiful and expresses her insatiable appetite with her eyes and it’s refreshing to see the childlike innocence in Sumon’s face every time he looks at her face.

There are moments of silence scattered across the film, but they don’t feel forced. It is through these silences that we see the dark love story develop between our characters and eventually turn slowly into the forbidden territory. The cinematography and the dialogues capture the nuances in the expressions, without any added dramatics and the soft piano tunes accompanied with every food shot just adds to the effect. We get shots of sheer joy experienced by Nirmali who, with every bite is going through diverse emotions starting with love, with bits of lust and finally somehow ending up spiraling downwards with gluttony.

Aamis is unconventional and unique and it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The movie bends the norms of love and makes one uncomfortable but manages to make one thing clear: The human nature which drives the actions is more important than the actions itself.

Do yourself a favor and watch this film.

Verdict: 6/7 stars

Brilliant.

 
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Gokul Harikumar

Gokul is a designer by heart and profession. He is also the co-founder of Flow Club, a social investment app for the digital natives. When he is not doing something boring, he is busy sipping chai and watching films from different parts of the world. Language is no barrier, but he has a soft corner for french and german thriller movies. He is also a huge fan of gripping documentaries (especially the ones with investigative journalism).

You can follow him on Twitter: @GokulHK
and check out his film connection in Letterboxd: @Gokulhk.

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Alan Bince
3 years ago

Well written!!!

Rahul Rana
Admin
3 years ago

Love Aamis or Hate Aamis, you will remember the movie for a long time. It’s definitely different from the rest.

Loved the ending and how morality and chastity interestingly make the lead characters take dark and unfathomable dark decisions.