There’s a notion that the opening sequence of any film is vital to its proceedings; it has the potential to make or break the film. The opening scene of Lisaa breaks this perception, for it’s one of the dullest scenes written in recent times. Lisaa (Anjali) wakes up to find her mother being disturbed about something. The untimely demise of Lisaa’s father has been bothering her for a while. When did he die? We don’t know. Lisaa comes to know the backstory; about how her grandparents were against her parents’ marriage; how it broke the family, prompting her mother to desert her grandparents.
In short: Lisaa is moved. She decides to find a suitable bridegroom for her mother, hoping to get her grandparents’ approval at least this time around. She heads to a hilly region, which, according to Tamil filmmakers, is the retirement destination for aged people. She is accompanied by her college junior (the actor is a dead-bore that I forgot to take note of his name). Why would this boy tag along with her? We don’t know.
- Cast: Anjali, Sam Jones, Yogi Babu and Makarand Deshpande
- Director: Raju Viswanath
- Storyline: Haunted house, amateur actors, forced humour and staged horror… you know the rest.
Before reaching the place, the duo takes time to marvel at the Western Ghats. They also shake a leg to ‘Neethane En Thoovanam’, with a bunch of group dancers who seem to have been hired on the spot. Are they in love? We don’t know. They meet Lisaa’s grandparents — DJ and Sarama, who, admittedly, look more terrifying than the film’s supposedly scary portions. They find out about the presence of a supernatural being. Naturally, they are petrified — like the audiences that voluntarily spent their Friday morning, watching the sheer absurdity unfold on the screen.
When I walked into Lisaa , I was mildly surprised when the usher handed me a box containing a pair of 3D glasses. The audacity to release a one-dimensional film in 3D format is perhaps the boldest decision taken by its makers.
