Indhira Sounderrajan
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Adhu Mattum RagasiyamIndra Sounderrajan is a specialist in writing thrillers rooted in superstitions & God beliefs and how the cunning individuals exploit them over the innocent people. I had seen his creations on Sun TV (his combination with director Naga works the best) and had been bowled over by its narration. But this is the first time I am reading his novel, without knowing that it was actually made as serial some times back by the same team in Sun TV. The novel was highly engrossing that I read it at a strech, which normally I won't do. (I prefer reading slowly and enjoy it by rehashing of what I read). I couldn't resist finishing it at a go.

The story is about a Kutty Nandhan Swamy temple in a Ayiram Veli village, which is always been closed. It had been continuing for years and who ever tried to find out what is behind the closed doors gets their vision lost. Also the whole village is indebted to the big family of that village. In other words it is like a slavery system. Under these circumstances come the protagonist Chandramohan and his wife Srimathi along with his parents. Chandramohan is an atheist and despite the warnings, he speaks, against the God, and his wife is dead, triggering the chain of morose events. Joins his relative Radha, a medical student in unveiling the secrets.

The novel takes a sonic start with an attempt at Chandramohan's life. The death of his wife Srimathi just propels further and the death of her parents is terribly shocking. Through out the novel is scattered unleashed violence and thrills that very few might think of.

If it was a dog that was the terrifying force in "Ragasiyamai Oru ragasiyam" and a horse in "Vittuvidathey Karuppa", here comes a living terror - Samadhana Pandiyan, whose activities send your spinal chords chilling. Especially when he shoots a "bird" a man falls dead and the graveyard sequences. The description of the ambience and its brooding nature is simple awesome. Just visualise it and you'll feel the difference.

However the drawback of the novel is that the culprits are exposed in the mid of the novel itself and it becomes a routine and predictable towards the end. Indhra Sounderrajan can be commended for putting a bold plot and building incidents around it.

Unlike Indhra's other works, this defies logic at more than one times and you start asking questions why it was so. Especially after Radha takes over the story, it becomes a jaded plot. That is where Indhra loses. But he tactfully overcomes it that you were not asking too much questions while reading it. The climax explaining why the temple had been closed is really a twist.

On the whole, you can read it for the sheer experience, which I am sure you wouldn't get in the visual medium. Indhra does it again effortlessly, but it shows.

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