Tongue-in-cheek one-liners and political jibes lend an air of irreverence to the trailer of the Malayalam film Aabhasam.
Directed and written by Jubith Namradath, the film features Rima Kallingal and Suraj Venjaramoodu and will be released on April 14.
The political satire centres on a bus journey and chronicles the many events that take place during the trip. Run by a travel agency named Democracy and named Gandhi, the bus travels from Bengaluru to Kerala, illuminating a gamut of contemporary political issues ranging from beef politics to moral policing. An old man cooking meat alludes to the killing of a “poor man like him” in Bihar because he was cooking beef. A middle-aged man who frowns upon a kissing couple is asked if he belongs to Shiv Sena.
Aabhasam was scheduled to be released on January 5, but was delayed because it was awarded an A certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification. The board had demanded cuts and asked for some lines to be muted. The release date was rescheduled after the filmmakers muted the contested dialogue but opposed the cuts.
“We are ready to comply with their demand — to make a few mutes,” Producer Sanju Unnithan told Deccan Chronicle in January. “Still, the movie can’t escape ‘A’ certificate. Some of the claims made at the Censor Board are that the film does not convey any positive message to society and it is all dark. But it is a satire. We won’t accept the certificate and will place a request to review the decision.” Aabhasam was granted a U/A certificate after a review.