Star, Malayalam’s first release after
the Covid lockdown, is a mystery drama that attempts to deflate
myths.

Myths in most spooky movies are a mix
of celestial movements, folklore, and supposed paranormal activity.
And so is eponymous ‘Star’, starring Joju George, Sheelu Abraham,
and Gayathri Ashok, with Prithviraj Sukumaran coming up with a climax
cameo.

So in tune with the interplay of
celestial movements and myths, our protagonist, Aardra, is seemingly
out of touch with the ‘normal’ from scene one.

Then her behavioural pattern gets as
weird as it can get as the plot struggles to unfurl along with her
demons of which her doting husband, Roy, and their children have no
clue.

Their inferences are mainly woven by
the folklore revolving around the sacred groves surrounding her
ancestral home, which is served on a platter by their housemaid, who
is also from the same place.

So the children and her hubby struggle
to come to terms with her peculiar behaviour, which is initially
triggered by a dream in which she sees the sacred groves. That is a
bad omen, the maid tells us.

And Aardra wants to visit the place.

The events which unfurl during and
after the visit forms the crux of ‘Star’.

The acting prowess of Joju is the
takeaway from ‘Star’, directed by Domin D’Silva.

The music is composed by M.
Jayachandran, Ranjin Raj, and William Francis, who has done the
background score also. Harinarayanan has penned the lyrics.

Theatres in Kerala were shut in March
2020 in the aftermath of the pandemic, and reopened in January this
year. However, they had to be closed again in mid-April, following
the second wave of COVID-19. How ‘Star’ can pull the crowds to
the cinema halls will be definitely a mystery.