It’s Aishwarya Rajesh’s career-best performance in Farhana, the latest Tamil release directed by Nelson Venkatesan. The trilingual film, also released in Telugu and Hindi, has garnered praise from netizens and captivated audiences with its morning shows. Rajesh’s portrayal of Farhana, a brave and determined Muslim woman, carries the entire film on her shoulders.
Aishwarya Rajesh’s acting is nothing short of brilliant, immersing herself completely in the character. From the opening scene to the gripping climax, Rajesh captures the essence of Farhana with impeccable depth.
The film progresses around Farhana, an educated woman living with her husband Karim (Jithan Ramesh) and their three children. Despite her orthodox father Boots Bhai’s (Kitty) disapproval, Farhana takes up a job at a call centre to escape poverty. She excels in her work and later transitions to a friendly chat process that pays higher incentives. Initially shocked by the explicit conversations with male customers, she copes with the situation. However, a mysterious caller enters her life, seeking intellectual conversation rather than sexual encounters. Their interactions provide solace to Farhana, who yearns for someone to share her thoughts. But when one of her colleagues gets murdered, the mysterious man engages her in a deadly cat-and-mouse game, threatening her family’s well-being. The rest of the film delves into whether Farhana can escape the clutches of this apparent psychopath.
With Farhana, Dream Warrior Pictures adds another cerebral film to its impressive repertoire, and director Nelson Venkatesan continues to showcase his talent and versatility in content and filmmaking.
The music and background score by Justin Prabhakaran provides an engaging atmosphere throughout Farhana. Cinematographer Gokul Benoy’s use of thrilling camera movements keeps the suspense alive, while editor VJ Sabu Joseph skillfully conceals climactic events, unveiling them at opportune moments. The art direction by Siva Sankar expertly portrays Farhana’s home and creates a contrasting and surreal ambience for the antagonist.
Farhana is a gripping suspense drama that showcases Aishwarya Rajesh’s exceptional talent and captivates audiences from start to finish. With its compelling storyline and stellar performances, this film is a must-watch for fans of intense cinema.
Jithan Ramesh surprises with his subtle and affecting portrayal of Karim, the supportive husband who senses his wife growing distant. Kitty impresses as Farhana’s orthodox father, bringing authenticity to his character. Anumol and Aishwarya Dutta, cast as Farhana’s colleagues, amaze us with their performances, with Dutta playing a significant role in the screenplay’s turning point. The film also features a surprise casting of a prominent celebrity in the antagonist role, relying on voice modulation and making a powerful impact in the climax.
Released in theatres on May 12, 2023, Farhana has excellent performance with power-packed story line and deserves a a four and a half rating. Do not miss this trilingual!.
Cast & Crew:
Aishwarya Rajesh – Farhana
Selvaraghavan – Dhayalan
Kittu – Ajeez Bhai
Jithan Ramesh – Karim
Aishwarya Dutta – Sophia
Anumol – Nithya
Shakthi – Prithvi
Story & Direction : Nelson Venkatesan
Production House: Dream Warrior Pictures
Producers: S R Prakash Babu, S R Prabu
Creative Producer: Thangaprabaharan R
Executive Producer: Aravendraj Baskaran
Screenplay – Nelson Venkatesan, Sankar Dass & Ranjith Ravindran
Dialogues : Manushyaputhiran, Nelson Venkatesan & Shankar Dass
Music: Justin Prabhakaran
DOP: Gokul Benoy
Editor: VJ Sabu Joseph
Art Director : Siva Shankar
Production Controller: S.M. Sirajudeen
Stylist: Navadevi Rajkumar
Lyricists: Yuga Bharathi, Uma Devi
Sound Mixing: Tapas Nayak
Rating: 4.5
Marketing & Promotions: Esakki Muthu
EP Associate: Sathappa S, Allaudin Hussain
Media Strategy: Naarad PR & Image Strategists & Johnson
