Bharathan or Bharathan Effect is a 2007 Malayalam science fiction-thriller film written by Madhu Muttam, directed by Anil Das and starring Biju Menon in the title role. The film is about a genius inventor who makes a small gadget which can fly without fuel using the concept of antigravity. The film released with the tag "The First Science Fiction Thriller in Malayalam", although another movie of the same genre, titled Karutha Rathrikal, was released in 1967. Bharathan was panned by the critics and audiences alike and its scientific accuracy was questioned. It was the second film scripted by Madhu Muttam.
Plot
Bharathan is a post-graduate and unemployed. Somehow he manages to get the job of a Malayalam teacher at a tuition centre. His wifeGeetha works in a consumer store. The couple stays in a rented house owned by Kariyachan. Bharathan is a genius inventor and has a rather inquisitive mind especially as far as scientific matters are concerned. He is always around inventions with little care on what happens around him. He never sticks to any particular job, which lands his family in deep financial troubles. His wife Geetha is upset about all this, but there is little she can do to keep her husband from becoming the laughing stock of many who don't understand him. Some people like Kariachan cleverly usurp the patent rights of some of Bharathan's crude inventions. The few people who come with helping hands are Thankachan, one of his students in the tuition centre, and Peter, who goes around finding him new jobs. In the meantime Bharathan invents a gadget that could be used to clean and sweep the courtyard and also to pluck coconuts and fruits from palms and trees. One day, on the way to take classes, Bharathan notices a paper rocket-flown by some children-staying midair for an unusually long period of time. This and a few other experiences lead him to a very spectacular discovery relating to gravity. But people around him brand him a lunatic and that leads to many problems in his life. But Bharathan does discover the reason behind the phenomenon is antigravity and claims that he can make flying objects that can be used by man to reach any destination without any fuel, and he suddenly gets famous. But due to over concentration, Bharathan loses his memory about the project. The government brings a psychiatrist to cure him. He finds that with some seemingly fatal interventions, Bharathan could be cured and he could make antigravity workable.
The film was panned by critics and audiences alike. Most of the reviewers criticised the lack of research in the screenplay and questioned the scientific accuracy of the film. Unni Nair of Nowrunning.com stated, "Scriptwriter Madhu Muttam and director Anil Das perhaps seem to have been obsessed with the idea of making a science fiction thriller and seem to have forgotten that they have to cater to and satisfy an audience." He concluded his review writing: "A science-fiction thriller ought to keep you on the edge of your seat. But what Bharathan succeeds in doing is elicit an occasional yawn from you. That's all there is to be said about the film." A critic from Indiaglitz.com said that the film "has not eyed anything exceptional other than the central plot, and would have worked better if it was promoted as a children's film!" Paresh C Palicha of Rediff.com concluded his review saying, "In all, Anil Das's Bharathan Effect would have worked wonders if it was made 20 years ago, and promoted as a children's film!" The film received a few positive reviews as well. G. Jayakumar of The Hindu appreciated the film "for the treatment of an unusual theme." He also praised the technical aspects and the cast performances.
