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Last Updated : 12 May, 2023 10:18 AM

Published : 12 May 2023 10:18 AM Last Updated : 12 May 2023 10:18 AM

ஃபர்ஹானா Review: சுவாரஸ்யம் கொடுத்ததா த்ரில்லர் திரைக்கதை?

சென்னை ஐஸ்ஹவுஸின் நடுத்தர முஸ்லிம் குடும்பத்தைச் சேர்ந்த பெண் ஃபர்ஹானா (ஐஸ்வர்யா ராஜேஷ்). தனது கணவர் கரீம் (ஜித்தன் ரமேஷ்) நடத்தி வரும் செருப்பு கடையின் வியாபாரம் கைகொடுக்காததால் வேலைக்கு செல்ல முடிவெடுக்கிறார். அதன்படி கால் சென்டர் ஒன்றில் வேலைக்குச் சேர்ந்த பின் ஃபர்ஹானாவின் குடும்ப பொருளாதார சூழல் முன்னேற்றம் காண்கிறது. இதனிடையே தனது குழந்தைக்கு உடனடியாக ஆப்ரேஷன் செய்ய வேண்டிய கட்டாயத்தில் தள்ளப்படும் ஃபர்ஹானாவுக்கு மேலும் பணம் தேவைப்படுவதால், அவர் வேலை செய்யும் கால் சென்டரில் 3 மடங்கு அதிகம் இன்சென்டிவ் கொடுக்கும் மற்றொரு பிரிவில் பணியாற்ற ஒப்புக்கொள்கிறார். அந்த வேலை ஃபர்ஹானாவின் வாழ்க்கையை எப்படியெல்லாம் புரட்டிப்போடுகிறது என்பது தான் படத்தின் மீதிக்கதை.

‘ஒருநாள் கூத்து’, ‘மான்ஸ்டர்’ படங்களை இயக்கிய நெல்சன் வெங்கடேசன் இம்முறை இஸ்லாமிய குடும்பத்தைச் சேர்ந்த பெண்ணின் வழியாக முகமறியாதவர்களுடனான இணையவெளித் தொடர்பு உரையாடல்களில் இருக்கும் ஆபத்துகளையும், மனம் விட்டு பேசுவதன் முக்கியத்துவத்தையும் படைப்பாக்கியிருக்கிறார். இஸ்லாமியர்கள் கணிசமாக வாழும் சென்னை ஐஸ்ஹவுஸின் நெருக்கடியான வீடுகளுக்குள் பிரவேசிக்கும் முஸ்லீம் பெண் ஒருவரின் அன்றாட வாழ்க்கையின் சுழலோட்டத்தையும், அவரைச் சுற்றி வரையப்பட்டிருக்கும் கோடுகளின் எல்லைகளையும் படம் பதிவு செய்கிறது. அந்தப் பெண்ணின் அக-மன வெளிச்சிக்கல்களை நோக்கி படம் நகரும்போது காட்சிகள் உயிர்கொள்கின்றன.

குறிப்பாக ஒரு பெண்ணுக்கான ‘பொருளாதாரா விடுதலை’யின் தேவையை உரைத்துக்கொண்டேயிருக்கும் படம் ஓரிடத்தில் சாலையோர பெண்மணியின் குரலின் வழியே அதன் அழுத்தத்தை கூட்டுவது ‘நச்’ ரகம். செல்வராகவனுடனான ஐஸ்வர்யா ராஜேஷின் அந்த மொத்த உரையாடலை கவிதைகளாக்கி ரசிக்க வைத்திருப்பது எழுத்தாளர் மனுஷ்யபுத்திரன், சங்கர் தாஸ், நெல்சன் தீலிப்குமாரின் வசன மேஜிக். ‘எல்லா விதிக்கும் ஒரு விதி விலக்கு இருக்கு’, ‘நீ சொன்ன வார்த்தையோட அந்த நிமிஷம் கடந்து போகாத படி உறைய வைச்சிருக்கேன்’, ‘நான் இந்த போன கட்பண்ணிட்டா அடுத்து பேசுறவன் குரல் வழியாகவே உன்ன தடவி பார்ப்பான்’ போன்ற வசனங்கள் கவனம் பெறுகின்றன.

அழுவது, எழுவது, பிரச்சினையை எதிர்கொள்ள போராடுவது, தனியொரு பெண்ணாக குடும்ப பொருளாதார நெருக்கடியை சமாளிப்பது என ஐஸ்வர்யா ராஜேஷை மறக்கடித்து ‘ஃபர்ஹானா’ மட்டுமே திரையை ஆக்கிரமித்திருப்பதால் கதையுடன் எளிதில் ஒன்ற முடிகிறது. தொப்பியும், தாடியுமாக அதிகம் பேசாமல் மௌனத்தாலேயே உணர்வைக்கடத்தும் புரிதல் கொண்ட கணவராக ‘ஜித்தன்’ ரமேஷ் நடிப்பில் அத்தனை யதார்த்தம். ‘சர்ப்ரைஸ்’ கொடுக்கும் செல்வராகவன் தன் குரல் வழியே ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்துவதுடன், அந்த கதாபாத்திரத்திற்கு கச்சிதமாக பொருந்திப்போவது பலம். அனுமோல், ஐஸ்வர்யா தத்தா உள்ளிட்டோர் தேவையான நடிப்பை வெளிப்படுத்த தவறவில்லை.

லாஜிக் மீறல்களும் முரண்பாடான கதாபாத்திரங்களும்தான் படத்தின் ஆகப்பெரிய பிரச்சினை. தன் மனைவியை வேலைக்கு அனுப்பும் அளவிற்கான புரிதல் கொண்ட ஜித்தன் ரமேஷ் கதாபாத்திரம் மனைவியை வீட்டு லேண்ட்லைன் போனை தொட அனுமதிக்காமலிருப்பதும், ஐந்துவேளை தொழுகையுடன் தஹஜ்ஜத் தொழும் அளவிற்கான இறைபக்தி கொண்ட ஃபர்ஹானா கதாபாத்திரம் பணத்திற்காக தேர்ந்தெடுக்கும் தொழிலும், அந்த தொழிலில் ஆபத்துகளை அறிந்தும் அதில் தொடர்வதும் முரண். ஸ்மார்ட்போன் யுகத்திலும் ஃபர்ஹானா மொபைல் பயன்படுத்தாமல் இருப்பது குறித்து புரியவில்லை. பள்ளியில் கூட முஸ்லீம் குழந்தை ஹிஜாப் அணிந்திருப்பது, உருது பாதி தமிழ் பாதி என கலந்து பேசும் ‘அரிய’ இஸ்லாமியர் வீடு, இஸ்லாமியர் என்றாலே அவர் தலையில் நிச்சயம் தொப்பியும் ஜிப்பாவும் அணிருந்திப்பார்கள் போன்ற யதார்த்ததுக்கு மிகையான ‘ஸ்டீரியோடைப்’ காட்சிகள் 2023-லும் தொடர்வது நெருடல்.

முந்தைய தலைமுறைக்கும் தற்போதைய தலைமுறைக்குமான வித்தியாசத்தை ஐஸ்வர்யா ராஜேஷின் அப்பா மற்றும் கணவர் மூலம் காட்சிப்படுத்தியிருந்ததும், தன் மனைவி மீது பழி வந்தபின்பும் அதனை குர்ஆன், ஹதீஸின் வழியே எதிர்கொள்ளும் கணவர் கதாபாத்திரமும் பாராட்டுக்குரியது. சர்ச்சையான கொலைக்குப் பின்பும் கால் சென்டர் மீண்டும் இயங்குவதும், ஜித்தன் ரமேஷ் குடும்ப பொருளாதார சூழலை எதிர்கொள்ள எந்த நடவடிக்கைகளையும் மேற்கொள்ளாததும், செல்வராகவன் கதாபாத்திரத்தின் பின்னணியில் தெளிவின்மை, தனியாளாக அவர் எப்படி எல்லாவற்றையும் கண்டறிகிறார் உள்ளிட்ட லாஜிக் சிக்கல்களும் இல்லாமலில்லை. தவிர, ஒரு கட்டத்தில் படம் அடுத்தடுத்து நகராமல் ஒரே இடத்தில் சுற்றிக்கொண்டிருப்பது அயற்சி.

ஜஸ்டின் பிரபாகரன் பின்னணி இசை, காட்சிகளுக்குத் தேவையான பங்களிப்பில் கச்சிதம் சேர்க்கிறது. நெருக்கடியான வீடுகள், குறுகலான சந்து, பெரிய பள்ளிவாசல் என திருவல்லிக்கேணியை குறுக்கு வெட்டுத்தோற்றத்துடன் கோகுல் பினோயின் கேமரா பதிவு செய்திருக்கும் விதம் ஈர்ப்பு. லீனியரான கதை தான் என்றாலும் தனது கட்ஸ் மூலம் காட்சிகளை நேர்த்தியாக்கியிருக்கிறார் சாபு ஜோசஃப். எல்லாவற்றிற்கும் மேலாக இஸ்லாமிய குடும்ப பின்னணியிலிருந்து இந்த கதையை அணுகியிருப்பதற்கான தேவையையும், அதற்குரிய நியாயத்தையும் படத்தின் காட்சிகளோ, திரைக்கதையோ சேர்க்காமலிருக்கும் சூழலில் ‘ஃபர்ஹானா’வாக இந்தப்படம் உருவானது ஏன் என்ற கேள்வி இறுதி வரை தொக்கி நிற்கிறது.

அன்பு வாசகர்களே....

இந்த ஊரடங்கு காலத்தில் வீட்டை விட்டு வெளியே வராமல் நமக்கு நாமே சமூக விலகல் ( Social Distancing) செய்து கொள்வோம். செய்தி ஊடகங்களின் வழியே உலகுடன் தொடர்பில் இருப்போம். பொதுவெளியில் இருந்து தனிமைப்படுத்திக் கொண்டு கரோனா பரவலைத் தடுப்பதில் நம் பங்கை முழுமையாக இந்த சமூகத்துக்கு அளிப்போம்.

CoVid-19 கரோனா தடுப்பு / விழிப்புணர்வு கையேடு - இலவசமாக டவுன்லோடு செய்து பயன்பெறுங்கள்!

- வாசகர்கள் நலனில் அக்கறையுடன் இந்து தமிழ் திசை

தவறவிடாதீர்!

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Rating: ( 3 / 5).

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Farhana's (Aishwarya Rajesh) hijab never leaves her ears, but the fierceness of tucking in reduces gently. Over time, we realise how Farhana's relationship with her hijab stands as a metaphor for her metamorphic growth. It is a relief to see that Farhana's religious identity is never sacrificed, compromised, or criticised, thus correcting recent films that take the onus of talking about issues for women, with maybe not-so-noble intentions.

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Farhana comes from a staunch, lower-middle-class Indian Muslim family. She is seen wearing a  Metti  (toe ring), prays five times a day irrespective of the place and situation, and shoulders household responsibilities. The initial 30-odd minutes rivetingly reflect the confinement that Farhana goes through while living with her husband Karim (Jithan Ramesh). Even as he, who runs a footwear store, expresses a subtle support for Farhana by getting a new pair of work footwear, there seems a confinement that she is looped into. 

She is someone, who is restrained from dancing at her friend's wedding and having a cell phone, considered more impious by her father Ajeez Bhai (Kittu). Nelson Venkatesan delectably sets up the world of  Farhana  so much that you heave a sigh of relief along with her when she steps into her office for the first day of work with her newly bought favourite handbag. And she says it is "jolly" even when the smallest weight is put down. 

Her job at the call centre does not come with her pursual of passion, but rather proceedings of poverty that drives Farhana's decision. And just like any other middle-class thought process, Farhana wishes for more, which puts her in a situation that also comes with vexatious results. 

One of the most heart-warming themes of  Farhana  that propel the central conflict is solace. Nelson makes a compelling argument for how it becomes child's play to open up to someone whose identity is not involved. Farhana also encounters a situation where she is expected to talk to lonely, pervert men for as long as possible. It is also left to interpretation if the callers are only men and if only women are on the other side. Perhaps, a commentary on how sexually liberating talks are yet to be made by women or that men are yet to hear what women got to say. But that's a discussion for another day. Let's come back to Farhana. 

Amidst those wanting to know her body type, comes a voice who wants a conversation of silence, in-between the sounds of water, wind chimes and guitar strings. The conversation-driven stretch makes up for the heart of the film, humbly dismissing how the number of people around you does not matter in front of the number of ears that will pay heed to your silences. There is indeed a poetic stretch of understanding between strangers until  Farhana  decides to make a tonal shift in its genre. 

There is a religious touch to this, and strangely, a Hindu reference to  Lakshman Rekha  is drawn to bring out an emphasising effort of Farhana moving out into the danger zone, or can we say a battleground where she is the warrior and saviour of herself?

Farhana  is effectively anchored by its cast, primarily led by Aishwarya Rajesh. Her portrayal of a Muslim does not only come up with the actor's smart performance but also with in-depth writing. There is no alienation of sorts, and it is wise that Farhana's Islamic identity is never an example of tokenism to show women from a minority community or for milking the religion for its gender-bias practices. Instead, the film understandably takes you into the world of a subjugated woman just against the backdrop of a Muslim household. But what adds to this is the supporting cast that brilliantly sums up the world of the film. Kittu as the staunch elderly patriarch, who is taken aback that Farhana bought a new phone for herself, free-wheeling Sophie (Aishwarya Dutta), and an accepting colleague Nithya (Anumol), to name a few. While Jithan Ramesh carries the role with ease as a husband who goes to all lengths to be progressive within the frameworks of a typical Indian patriarchal house, Selvaraghavan adds a touch of psyche exampling.

At times,  Farhana  lacks due to tepid stretches, especially in the latter half. But for the storytelling shift that it takes, the film fairly understands itself and gets past it with noble intentions and promises. Farhana is a film that effectively brings the themes of solace, independence, and most importantly, the message that worldly notions need not leave one bereft of their fundamental rights. 

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'Farhana' movie review: Aishwarya Rajesh is the highlight of this intriguing thriller

A purdah-clad Muslim woman who leaves for work after putting her children in her husband's care, is quite the unusual protagonist, as far as Indian movies are concerned.

In that way, 'Farhana' featuring Aishwarya Rajesh as the titular character, is different as it makes an attempt to represent a section of women who are usually relegated to the shadows or misrepresented in Indian cinema. That the film hit theatres exactly a week after the controversial Sudipto Sen directorial 'The Kerala Story' released, is quite interesting.

For unlike 'The Kerala Story', the Muslim community in 'Farhana' are shown as people who are capable of love and care, though some hold views that are quite regressive. Farhana's orthodox father is one such character. He believes women are meant to stay at home and take care of their children and that they need not own a mobile phone or even get a good education.

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The 'regressive' tone of the characters ends there. Farhana's husband (Jithan Ramesh), though not worldly, is portrayed as a kindhearted man who is in favour of his wife going to work, despite the odds. Though his not preferring that Farhana attend any phone calls may seem contradictory to his otherwise liberal nature, his character is quite interesting.

Farhana takes up a job at a call centre, which isn't your conventional 'what's wrong with your product?' BPO. Here, the job entails having to engage in simulated sex with customers over the phone. Despite being an educated woman who is clearly uncomfortable with the nature of the job, Farhana's financial constraints leave her with no other option. However, one call she attends while at work changes her life. The intrigue and the treatment of the movie make it an interesting watch.

The movie's trailer had come under criticism for portraying Aishwarya's character as a woman working at a phone sex call centre. Her character being a Muslim did not sit well with the community with some even saying the film was an insult to Muslim women.

However, director Nelson Venkatesan has made an attempt to ensure that the character does not seem controversial. More than being a Muslim woman, Farhana has her own identity. Like any other woman who steps out into the world, she too has to face some challenges to move up in life.

Nelson has done a good job of keeping the intrigue flowing, though the film suffers from moments of lull, too. The mysterious man behind the voice, who falls in love with Farhana, is the highlight of the movie, which turns dark in the second half.

The performances by all the actors, including Selvaraghavan, Kitty, Anumol and Aishwarya Dutta, were commendable, though Aishwarya Rajesh is the highlight of the film. Her facial expressions, her composure and the way she carried herself, prove that she is someone who can carry an entire film on her shoulders.

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Farhana Movie Review (2023)

• 12 May 2023

Nelson Venkatesan's 'Farhana' gives Aishwarya Rajesh a fine chance to shine in the midst of a middling thriller

Farhana Movie Cast & Crew

With Oru Naal Koothu , Nelson Venkatesan showed us he could do drama. The film was a sobering look at modern-day marriage. His next film, the very entertaining Monster , was a total U-turn: it was a live-action cartoon about a man who battles a rat. With Farhana , the director proves that he really does not want to be slotted in any genre-box: broadly speaking, this is a thriller. But after a clumsily staged opening stretch (which exaggerates a certain kind of "danger" that awaits free-spirited women), we land in a drama very much like Satyajit Ray's Mahanagar . A middle-class woman (Farhana, played by Aishwarya Rajesh) takes up a job to ease the financial pressure on her family. In both films, the father-in-law disapproves, and in both films, the job is rather unconventional. In the 1960s, when women were meant to be homemakers, Ray's heroine stepped out and became a door-to-door saleswoman. In Farhana's case, the job is at a call centre, where she sex-chats with men. The hitch is that she is a devout Muslim.

The film does a fine job of bringing to life a patriarchal family that talks in a Hindi-Tamil mix, where Farhana is not allowed to have a phone and has to use a landline with the constant reminder that everyone around can hear her words. Nelson focuses on his heroine's face, her expressive eyes – and Aishwarya gives us everything from timidity to disgust to fear to controlled rage. Even when she's caught in  a stretch that makes her seem like a detective in an action movie, we never lose sight of the conservative Farhana she was and will always be. Jithan Ramesh plays her understanding husband with a lot of goodness and grace. He may not be very happy that his wife has to support the family, but he doesn't feel emasculated either. Once the decision has been made, he supports her fully. He works in the failing family footwear store, and on Farhana's first day of work, he gets her new pair of footwear. He attended the job interview with her, and saw the fancy footwear everyone else was wearing. He does not want his wife to be found lacking in at least that department, the department that is his specialty.

The plotting is very convenient – from the way Farhana gets a contact who gets her a job, and how she impresses her boss on her very first day at work. The way Farhana "unknowingly" finds herself in the sex-chat centre is unconvincing (wouldn't someone tell her what the job is?), as are scenes like the one where the cops land up at her home and shame her in front of everyone. To make things palatable for audiences, a coworker (very nicely played by Anumol) is used to keep underlining the fact that Farhana cannot digest this kind of job. But Nelson is much better at writing characters, and the film really blooms when Farhana begins  talking to a lonely man with the kind of poetic streak you'd find in a Mysskin movie. (You probably know the special guest star who plays this part.) Farhana and her husband talk only about practical things affecting the family, and for the first time, she finds a friend who liberates the trapped soul inside her. She is able to speak out her inner thoughts.

To keep Farhana "pure" in our eyes, we never see (or hear) the other men she talks to – and very refreshingly, these men are not painted as creeps but simply as people with needs they cannot express verbally to others. Around the midway mark, the film turns into a version of Fatal Attraction , with the spurned woman being replaced by a spurned man. Farhana now faces a psycho-stalker, and while Justin Prabhakaran's super-fun techno score keeps amping up the scenes, the plot itself takes too long to move. It inches ahead, and except for a tense pre-interval stretch, we never get to that nail-biting zone that we expect from a thriller. There's too much talk, and the psycho-stalker does not come across as a menacing figure at all. But again, the bits of character writing are good, like the scene in the metro where Farhana is comforted by other women – we sense a sisterhood. And Aishwarya Rajesh keeps makes us invest fully in her character, a woman who is almost "punished" for doing something against her religion. Flaws and all, I look forward to the genre Nelson Venkatesan takes up next.

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Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

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A middle-class mother takes a call centre job due to her financial reasons, and that gives her freedom, but it leads into a web of dangers. A middle-class mother takes a call centre job due to her financial reasons, and that gives her freedom, but it leads into a web of dangers. A middle-class mother takes a call centre job due to her financial reasons, and that gives her freedom, but it leads into a web of dangers.

• Nelson Venkatesan
• Sankar Dass
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• Renjith Ravindran
• Aishwarya Rajesh
• K. Selvaraghavan
• Anumol K. Manoharan
• 9 User reviews
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Farhana (U/A) 12/May/2023 Family, Drama 2hrs 20mins

Critics Review

Aishwarya rajesh shines in farhana, an inventive thriller.

Despite limited locations, the cinematographer skillfully imparts thrills, immersing the audience in Farhana's world. The character of Jithan Ramesh, who portrays Aishwarya Rajesh's husband, is well-crafted as a progressive Muslim man with his own insecurities, and Ramesh delivers a commendable performance. Aishwarya Dutta, seen primarily in the first half, impresses with her noteworthy portrayal. Justin Prabhakaran's background score effectively heightens the tension inherent in such a plot, complemented by seamless editing. While Farhana may encounter occasional pacing issues, it ultimately soars, showcasing its strengths. (more)

Source: Logesh Balachnadran, Times Of India

Quite A Satisfying Dramatic Thriller!

The film has its hits and misses, but didn�t fail at any point. The different backdrop, call center path to reach the conflict, unique way of approaching the villain character and a decent screenplay makes it a neat watch. (more)

Source: Ashwin Ram, Manatelugu.in

Go for this mostly engaging thriller driven by Aishwarya Rajesh's arresting performance

Apart from the terrific cast the film has quite a few pluses with the primary being the Muslim backdrop for the heroine that lends novelty. The lewdity that men resort to in the guise of friendly chat provides some fun in the first half. The introduction of the mystery man turns things on its head and the thriller elements take over right till the end. Farhana using technology to turn the tables on her tormentor provides a high. The metro train and its tunnels are cleverly used as tools to convey the tumultuous emotions. There are a few masterful directorial touches like Jithan Ramesh clearing the sink to help Aishu make a decision, the transformer wires flaring up and Farhana crossing her threshold on the train. The scene in which the husband and wife reconcile is poignant. (more)

Source: Indiaglitz, IndiaGlitz.com

Aishwarya Rajesh's film is a taut thriller, but its messaging is messy

In fact, Farhana is like a fish in the sea. She swims and swims and eventually gets caught in a web of lies. In the film, she gets trapped when she places her �trust� in a stranger. This is where the gaze of the film changes. Some of the scenes could be perceived differently. Take for example, how Azeez Bhai yells at Farhana when a cop steps into their home. He blames her saying that women who are educated will always invite trouble. While it showcases the thought process of an old man, it could be perceived differently as well. Remember how certain people clapped for Rangaraj Pandey�s dialogues from Ajith�s Nerkonda Paarvai? (more)

Source: Janani, India Today

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Farhana Movie Review: Aishwarya Rajesh’s film is a taut thriller, but its messaging is messy

Director nelson venkatesan’s farhana is a film about a woman, who hails from a conservative muslim family. when she takes up a job at a ‘bank,’ it invites trouble. farhana is a suspense thriller with confusing politics, says our review..

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• Farhana released in theatres on May 12.
• The film is directed by Nelson Venkatesan.
• Aishwarya Rajesh, Selvaraghavan and Jithan Ramesh play lead roles in the film.

Release Date: 12 May, 2023

It’s been five months into 2023, and Farhana is Aishwarya Rajesh’s fourth release. Phenomenal for an actor, isn’t it? Farhana has been creating ripples in the Tamil industry ever since the first single dropped. And with the trailer, director Nelson Venkatesan managed to pique the curiosity of the audience. Did the film live up to the expectation? Let’s find out!

Farhana (Aishwarya Rajesh) hails from a conservative Muslim family in the gullies of Chennai. She is married to Karim (Jithan Ramesh), who plays a subdued house-husband working at his father-in-law’s shoe mart. He is a man with progressive thoughts and fully believes in trusting and supporting his wife. Due to the sudden deterioration in their kid’s health, Farhana takes up a job as a customer support rep, much to the disappointment of his ‘regressive’ dad Azeez Bhai (Kittu).

Inside the company, Farhana decides to switch teams for better incentives. However, the job requires her to talk to sexually-charged men. Farhana hates the job, but one caller strikes up a conversation with her, which makes her stay. Little did she know that this call could cause harm to her and her family. How she escapes forms the rest of the story.

Director Nelson Venkatesan’s Farhana is a thriller that will hold your attention for the most part. The suspense element in the film keeps you engrossed and makes you guess what’s going to happen in her life. The first half of Farhana keeps you hooked despite some pacing issues. It shows Farhana’s life inside the four walls of her home and how her life starts and ends with her family. But, when she steps out for a job, she gets exposed to the outside world, which takes her by surprise. She doesn’t have a phone, she doesn’t know who Mia Khalifa is, nor is she aware of the freedom a woman can experience if she is financially independent.

In fact, Farhana is like a fish in the sea. She swims and swims and eventually gets caught in a web of lies. In the film, she gets trapped when she places her ‘trust’ in a stranger. This is where the gaze of the film changes. Some of the scenes could be perceived differently. Take for example, how Azeez Bhai yells at Farhana when a cop steps into their home. He blames her saying that women who are educated will always invite trouble. While it showcases the thought process of an old man, it could be perceived differently as well. Remember how certain people clapped for Rangaraj Pandey’s dialogues from Ajith’s Nerkonda Paarvai?

Aishwarya Rajesh has shouldered this film with her realistic portrayal. But, it was Jithan Ramesh’s characterisation that sits as a cherry on top of the cake. He fits the bill so perfectly that you begin rooting for him. Selvaraghavan was a surprise in the film. For the most part, you do not see his face and can only hear his voice. He instils fear with his presence.

Where the film falters is when Selvaraghavan’s Dhayalan and Aishwarya’s Farhana converse over the phone. Some of the dialogues invoke unintentional laughter. Also, the climax seems rushed and ends conveniently.

Farhana is a film that succeeds for the most part except for minor shortcomings.

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• What is the release date of 'Farhana'? Release date of Aishwarya Rajesh and Selvaraghavan starrer 'Farhana' is 2023-05-12.
• Who are the actors in 'Farhana'? 'Farhana' star cast includes Aishwarya Rajesh, Selvaraghavan, Aishwarya Dutta and Jithan Ramesh.
• Who is the director of 'Farhana'? 'Farhana' is directed by Nelson Venkatesan.
• Who is the producer of 'Farhana'? 'Farhana' is produced by S. R. Prakashbabu,S. R. Prabhu.
• What is Genre of 'Farhana'? 'Farhana' belongs to 'Drama,Thriller' genre.
• In Which Languages is 'Farhana' releasing? 'Farhana' is releasing in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

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• Home » Movies » Farhana Movie Review

Farhana review: Dispels the wrong perceptions about working women

However, director Nelson Venkatesan’s film subconsciously portrays men as monsters and turns boring after a point.

Published:Aug 10, 2023

A poster of the film 'Farhana'. (Twitter)

Works in parts!

Farhana (Tamil)

• Cast: Aishwarya Rajesh, Selvaraghavan, Aishwarya Dutta, Jithan Ramesh, and Anumol
• Writer-Director: Nelson Venkatesan
• Producers: S R Prakash Babu and SR Prabu
• Music: Justin Prabhakaran
• Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes
• Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi, and Revathy
• Director: Maneesh Sharma
• Producer: Aditya Chopra
• Music: Pritam Chakraborty
• Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes

Director Nelson Venkatesan, known for films like Oru Naal Koothu (One Day’s Ado, 2016) and Monster (2022), comes up with a slow-moving crime drama titled Farhana .

Though the film is supposed to be a crime story, it comes across more like a romantic drama at first. It is only in the second half that it turns into a crime drama.

Farhana (Aishwarya Rajesh), a deeply religious and devout Muslim woman, lives with her husband Kareem (Jithan Ramesh) and their three children in her dad Ajeez Bhai’s (Played by Kittu) residence.

Like most other Muslim families in the vicinity, Farhana is a homemaker. Her husband and dad make a living through their footwear shop.

Aishwarya Rajesh in and as ‘Farhana’. (Twitter)

Business at the once-prosperous shop slows down and forces the family into penury. The financial status reaches an alarming state with the men unable to make even enough to pay the children’s school fees.

Out of desperation, Farhana, who is educated, expresses a desire to take up a job. While her dad is against letting women go to work, her husband supports her.

Through the help of a friend, she gets a job at a call centre. Her job is to call on behalf of a bank and get customers to sign up for credit cards.

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Farhana is pleased with her job as it gives her financial independence.  She feels empowered and gains confidence.

As time goes by, she notices that her colleagues in another department make more money than her. She realises that employees working in that department receive three times more incentives than what she receives.

A poster of ‘Farhana’. (Twitter)

Farhana, too, expresses a desire to move to this new department so she can make more money. Though her friend Nithya (Anumol) advises her against the move, Farhana persists and succeeds in changing her department.

But it is only after joining the department that Farhana realises that the huge incentive her company is paying is not to sell anything but to have conversations, often of a sexual nature, with men. The longer the calls last, the more money the company makes.

Initially, Farhana feels repulsed by the sexual chats that people have. But just when she starts to hate the callers, she receives a call from a man called Dhayalan (Selva Raghavan) who refrains from making any sexual comments.

Soon, Farhana starts taking a liking to this caller who keeps calling her daily. Also, she gets drawn to him. What happens next is what the film is all about.

#Farhana what do I say ! It’s one of the best scripts I have heard in my life ! And @nelsonvenkat converted it beautifully ! @aishu_dil is simply fantastic. I’m so glad I’m part of such a poetic film. Kudos to @prabhu_sr sir😍😍 — selvaraghavan (@selvaraghavan) May 12, 2023

Addresses issues but turns boring

Nelson Venkatesan, who is known to advocate feminist thoughts in his films, does exactly that in Farhana , too.

A still from ‘Farhana’ starring Aishwarya Rajesh. (Twitter)

He is spot on when it comes to addressing certain points like dispelling the myths and the wrong perceptions that some people have about working women.

However, the director should have taken more care while penning a script that is as sensitive as this.

For instance, Farhana’s firm, which is initially shown as an entity that deals with selling banking products, is also shown to have a division dealing in sex chats.

Also Read: ‘Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo’ is a formidable tale of badass women

Also, the movie makes monsters out of men and tries to subconsciously drive home the point that all that men can think of is sex.

Besides, the film moves at a snail’s pace for the most part. The conversations that Farhana has with Dhayalan are long and turn boring after a point.

The heart-stopping drama #Farhana is now out in theaters worldwide. Get ready for an unexpected ride. #FarhanafromToday 🎟️ : https://t.co/Tr888rpf6B @aishu_dil @selvaraghavan @JithanRamesh @aishwaryadutta6 @anumolofficial @justin_tunes @gokulbenoy @EditorSabu @nelsonvenkat … pic.twitter.com/IuMTgNS1pj — DreamWarriorPictures (@DreamWarriorpic) May 12, 2023

Actors at their best

A still from Nelson Venkatesan’s ‘Farhana’. (Twitter)

Coming to performances, Aishwarya Rajesh delivers a splendid performance as Farhana. Be it her body language, mannerisms or dialogue delivery, she looks every bit the part.

Equally good is Jithan Ramesh who plays her husband. He comes up with a performance that can be termed his career’s best.

Director Selvaraghavan plays his part as the antagonist to perfection.

On the technical front, Justin Prabhakaran’s music is a big plus.

Be it the background score, which is apt, or the mellifluous songs, Justin impresses.

Related: ‘Farhana’ isn’t a propaganda film: Nelson Venkatesan

In all, Farhana is a film that works in parts.

(Views expressed are personal.)

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• tamil movie

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Vidharth And Vani Bhojan’s Tamil Film Anjaamai Gets U Certificate

Curated By : Entertainment Bureau

Local News Desk

Last Updated: May 27, 2024, 14:14 IST

Chennai, India

Anjaamai is slated to release in June.

Anjaamai is directed by debutante SP Subburaman, who has previously assisted filmmakers like Mohan Raja and Lingusamy.

Dream Warrior Pictures is a known production house, which has delivered films like Kaithi and Farhana. Recently, it has announced yet another film titled Anjaamai, headlined by Vidaarth and Vani Bhojan. The film will be based on the theme of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), introduced by the central government a few years back. It will centre around the confusion, questions and the sudden change in the education system that arose after the introduction of NEET. After dropping the title poster, there’s another update about the film.

Anjaamai is directed by debutante SP Subburaman, who has previously assisted filmmakers like Mohan Raja and Lingusamy. The makers have claimed that the upcoming film will showcase the various challenges faced by the students and their families associated with the introduction of NEET. It is also the first film that is centred around NEET. Now, as per the latest update on Anjaamai, the film has cleared Censor with a U certificate. The same was shared by the production house on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dream Warrior Pictures (@dreamwarriorpictures)

The caption read, “Censored ‘U’. A film for all ages that promises to inspire and entertain this June in cinemas.” As soon as the post was shared, the comment section was filled with excitement. A comment read, “Waiting for good social messages.” Another wrote, “Love to see you in big screen mam.” One wrote, “Always and always your fan, Vani.”

The teaser poster featured Vidharth and Vani Bhojan with their children against the background of a burning newspaper clip with reports that the NEET has claimed the life of a person. Judging by this, it can be assumed that the film will delve deep into the impact of NEET in the lives of many.

Apart from Vidharth and Vani Bhojan, the film will also star Rahman and Krithik Mohan in important roles. The film is bankrolled by Dr M Thirunavukarasu under his company Tiruchithram M. Anjaamai will hit the screens in June. A release date has not been announced yet. Vidaarth was last seen in the horror flick Devil opposite Poorna and Thrigun which was released earlier this year. Vani Bhojan was last seen in Love.

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