‘Virus’: Movie Review

The risk with making movies on real-life events, especially on something as sensitive as the Nipah virus outbreak in Kozhikode in 2018, is that it can be handled in a manner that looks more to wring emotions out of the events and essentially become a cheap cash-grab exercise. This would be the far easier way for many filmmakers, as opposed to showing restraint and nuance. Which is what makes Aashiq Abu’s “Virus” all the more commendable – the movie is an ode to the many brave souls who helped combat the outbreak, but does not glorify them and instead takes a dispassionate look at what happened. And, not unlike Steven Soderberg’s “Contagion”, it takes a look at various aspects of dealing with a medical crisis.

The movie deals with various facets of dealing with the virus outbreak – from the overworked doctors and medical staff at the Medical College hospital, to the patients who are affected by the virus; the various issues around cremation of the bodies of the deceased patients; the investigation done by a team of administrators and doctors to identify the source of the virus and contain its spread, and the efforts of the District Collector, Health Minister and others to avoid panic and misinformation. While the back and forth between the flashbacks and the present day of various characters can sometimes be distracting, and the movie does tend to drag towards the finish line, full marks to the editing team for achieving a very difficult task of seamlessly crossing between the various threads to create a cohesive narrative, almost never relenting on the sense of urgency and tension that is created. Special mention also for the excellent cinematography (there are great aerial shots in particular), and the great background score, both of which add to the tension in the proceedings.

The movie also boasts a great ensemble, and every actor delivers (so I won’t be mentioning any names in particular). Full marks to Aashiq Abu again for not giving any actor disproportionate preference – be it in characterization or in terms of run-time allocation. Each actor brings their best in terms of what the role demands. The performances are mostly restrained, and lend more dignity to the proceedings.

Al in all, “Virus” is a must watch, though it is not without its flaws. Aashiq Abu and his team have had to do a tight-rope walk in a lot of respects for this movie – and given the scale of the movie, it is commendable that they have delivered so convincingly. Just for that, “Virus” deserves an audience.