It’s also great to see the film effortlessly weaving in the angle of homosexual relationships into the narrative. Vineeth is wonderfully restrained and Shabna who essayed his wife’s role and those who played Raziya’s friends also did their parts eloquently. Sarala Balussery, though in a brief avatar, brings so much strength to her role, and one can’t help rooting for her. Though the bits on how she remains true to her wish becomes occasionally theatrical, she has done justice to the character, overall. Lead actress Anaswara has breathed life into an assertive, yet often quiet and submissive Raziya, well enough. It convincingly shows the plight of women who remain dependent on their man till the end, thanks to early marriages that hamper their education, and how radical ideas are creeping into the minds of the once-progressive folks, among other things.ĭirector Kavya Prakash makes a confident debut and has a good grip on the story by Unni R. The film, which portrays religion-supported sexism well, has a narrative that decently keeps the audience engaged, wondering till the end whether Raziya will be able to fulfil her wish. An interesting thought instilled in the minds of Raziya and her classmates by a teacher urges Raziya to reveal her biggest wish – to recite the azaan. Raziya (Anaswara Rajan) is a bright student and is a potential university rank holder. Vaanku, directed by debutant Kavya Prakash, is the story of a girl who stirs up a hornet’s nest with an unorthodox take on azaan, the Islamic call for prayer. Review: Challenging a religious taboo is no cakewalk in our society and when a character, especially a female protagonist, does it in a film, it offers a good trope for a thrilling watch right at the outset. Predictably, orthodox forces spring up to silence her.
Story: College student Raziya has one wish to fulfil before her student life ends – to recite the Islamic call to prayer, azaan.