Naradan HD Released

 

What leads to the creation of unethical journalists and the fight for TRP ratings? And, what goes behind the endless chase after exclusives that one sees on the media? Aashiq Abu's Naaradan choses to address such ugly, behind-the-scene trends in the newsrooms and the reasons that lead to the creation of the kind of journalists that the public love to hate.

Chandraprakash (Tovino Thomas) is a leading news anchor in one of the top Malayalam channels. When a rival media house airs news that his channel couldn’t get hold of, he struggles to answer his boss. And at a point in which his channel makes a move that’s unfavourable to him, career-wise, Chandraprakash ends up taking some drastic steps and transforming him into someone whom he wasn’t before.

Naaradan shows well the daily grind that a journalist goes through, from the hunt for stories, the plight of underpaid, overworked journalists who stick to companies or jobs for their passion for the same, the lengths to which companies force a journalist to go, to put together a breaking scroll, the loss of jobs... all of it. It has also drawn from many real-life incidents to tell the story. As a TRP-minded Chandraprakash, Tovino is mostly spot on. Anna Ben, too, shines as lawyer Shakira and the other actors also do their part well. The short yet interesting music pieces in the song also have a novel feel.

The first half, at many points, tests one’s patience, making one wonder what kind of theatrics one has to go through as the story unfolds. The sequences during which Chandraprakash’s personality trainer is introduced, appear too melodramatic and even silly, sometimes. The script also touches on how right-wing ideas have influenced many contemporary channels. The movie would be a treat to those who believe in the power and requirement of ethical journalism and love brilliant court-room exchanges.