Abi (Fahadh Faasil) and his wife Priya (Aishwarya Lekshmi) decide to shift to Kerala when he loses his job in Dubai. They plan to take a vacation at Priya's ancestral property in the western ghats. The locals at the place are not that fond of outsiders as there have been many dark stories in the past involving outsiders. Priya knows that most of the men in the village are perverts and misogynists as she did her schooling there. Abi is a good-hearted gentleman who refrains from jumping to conclusions. But when Abi, a varathan (outsider) decides to go bazooka on them, the movie bombards from first gear into fifth gear.
Varathan is Amal Neerad's best work as a director. Produced by Amal Neerad and co-produced by Nazriya Nazim, Varathan is a movie that will give you goosebumps. All credits go to the strong performances, the exceptional background score and the classic making. The story is simple and not a totally novel concept, but the screenplay that subtly discusses relevant social issues connected with women, and the splendid making makes the movie scintillate before every viewer's eyes.
Fahadh Faasil is simply the class meets mass. Slow motion scenes are an indispensable part of any Amal Neerad film, but when Fahadh delivers his dialogue and walks back in slow motion it is totally a different story. Strong, composed and impactful are words that fit in to describe his portrayal of Abi. Aishwarya Lekshmi has competed well with Fahadh and has succeeded in conveying every single emotion with conviction. Sharaf U Dheen who is known for his comical roles in Premam and Happy Wedding has pulled out a stunner. He plays the antagonist in a beautiful and atypical manner. The other actors who stand out with their performances are Vijilesh, Arjun Asokan and Dileesh Pothan.
Little Swayamp's cinematography, the angles, and the color tones are pivotal in anchoring the darkness and the weird tension and uncertainty associated with it. The background score by Sushin Shyam has an unconventional and fresh sounding. It gives the movie an interesting tone, especially in the climax.
Varathan is an experience that very few Malayalam films can provide. High-quality making, perfect acting, well-worked screenplay, brilliant background score are not something you see every Friday.