Dhoomam Review: Fahadh Faasil Film Leaves You Unsatisfied When the Smoke Clears

After films like Lucia and U-Turn, filmmaker Pawan Kumar employs the twists and turns of a thriller in Dhoomam to present an important message; almost a warning. The film uses flashbacks wrapped in more flashbacks to solve the mystery of why two people, Avinash and his wife Diya (Aparna Balamurali) find themselves in a dicey situation with the threat of life looming upon them. 

A magnificent Fahadh Faasil plays Avinash, a man whose marketing genius is recognised by one Sidharth (Roshan Mathew) who offers him a job on the side of a road.

Avinash uses his wit and his knack for understanding consumer behaviour to exponentially increase the sales of his company’s main product – cigarettes. The cigs give way to vapes and under Avinash’s watchful eye, business meets politics and the sky becomes the limit. 

As Avinash and Diya try to piece together how and why they’re in a tough spot, a mysterious man continues to send them on a goose chase with a time limit. On the face of it, the premise is gripping and the first half of Dhoomam keeps you at the edge of your seat but eventually, the film begins to lag. 

Once the messaging is clear, it begins to seem like they’re just hammering the same point home over and over again.

Arguably, this could be because of their over-reliance on dialogues instead of imagery. It begins to feel like an anti-smoking public service announcement that lasts for more than 2 hours. 

Both Faasil and Mathew deliver exemplary and effective performances: the latter as a charming heir apparent and the former as a man battling a fluctuating conscience. Balamurali complements Faasil’s act with an impressive showing of her own. Pawan Kumar tries to imbibe his latest with the same charm as the aforementioned films but a weak screenplay hinders those efforts. 

Preetha Jayaraman’s cinematography is worthy of mention; every scene matches the essence of the film’s messaging. I would specifically focus on how Jayaraman’s lens views Diya’s inner conflict with close up shots of twirling smoke that will leave you feeling suffocated. 

Poornachandra Tejaswi’s score feels rather heavy handed at times and clashes with the film’s otherwise languorous pace. 

There is no doubt that the film was made with good intentions and to its credit, the messaging never wavers and is almost effective. With a tighter screenplay and a better payout, Dhoomam would’ve been another flawless feather to Kumar’s cap.