Murmur, written and directed by Hemnath Narayanan, is the kind of film that not many people would enjoy or appreciate. Since most of the scenes are from camera perspective, it takes a lot of patience to watch it all the way through. That said, I loved what the filmmaker was trying to do, and the muted shots where nothing much happens piqued my interest and kept me hooked. If you decide to watch this film, make sure you're not expecting a mainstream horror film that will keep you entertained with its sudden scares. So let's find out what happened in the film Murmur and if paranormal investigators managed to find evidence that proves the existence of the village ghost.
There is no evidence that the legend of Mangai, as depicted in Murmur, exists in real life, although the people of South India do worship the seven goddesses, or Saptha Kanni. The film showed that Saptha Kanni never reached the village of Kathoor after a woman named Mangai arrived there, which is also a mere fabrication of the filmmakers. It's possible that the filmmakers were inspired by certain real-life incidents and then wove fictional narratives around them.
Directors: Hemnathnarayanan, Hemnath Narayanan
Writers: Hemnathnarayanan, Hemnath Narayanan
Stars: Devraj, Richie Kapoor, Yuvikha Rajendran
That said, the found-footage cinematic style and also the details of the case of a group of friends who disappeared after venturing into the Javadhu Hills, mentioned at the beginning of the film, give the impression that this is not a work of fiction. There have been multiple cases in the past of tribesmen disappearing in the Javadhu Hills, with no one knowing what happened to them. Often, in these places, folklore and legends are quite common, although these are simply baseless stories.
Rishi, Melvin, Ankitha, and Jenifer, the paranormal investigators, were paid to go to Kathoor village and uncover the truth behind the Mangai legend. They were excited about their mission and confident of finding some gruesome evidence that could make their documentary a success. Little did they know that the worst nightmare of their lives awaited them. The group had hired a local man to accompany them on their journey. But just one day before reaching the village, the guide was bitten by a snake and had to be hospitalized. His daughter, Kaantha, met the researchers and told them that she would accompany them to help them instead of her father. Kaantha, unlike the researchers, believed in the Mangai legend, but she needed money and also believed that the situation would not get out of hand. Kaantha took Melvin and his group to meet an old woman who knew what had happened in those times, so the villagers felt that Mangai's ghost was haunting them.
A man named Govindam decided to marry Mangai, unaware that her entire family practiced black magic. As soon as Mangai arrived in Kathoor village, many children began to disappear, and for a long time, no one could find out what had happened to them. One day, Govindam's sister's son disappeared, and it was then that the villagers discovered that Mangai had murdered the children. The villagers killed Mangai and dumped his body in the water, surrounded by the dense forest. It was believed that Mangai's ghost still roamed the nearby forest, and there was an unfounded belief that he was attracted by the smell of blood. The village elder also told the group that, for the past 80 years, Kanni festivals had not been held in the village for fear that Mangai would become angry and take their lives. After hearing the folklore, the paranormal investigators realized that everyone was making up their own story, and in all likelihood, there was no truth to it.
Kaantha was the first to be killed by Mangai, as Rishi did something that endangered the life of the local girl. After setting up camp, Melvin and his group decided to interact with Mangai's ghost through a Ouija board. They sat with their fingers on the board for a long time, but nothing happened. Rishi then pricked Kaantha's finger with a safety pin and placed a drop of her blood on the Ouija board. Kaantha felt very upset after that incident and decided to return to her village. But it was late at night, and Melvin and the girls asked her to hold off until the next morning. Rishi felt deeply sorry for what he had done, but he still didn't believe anything could happen to him. But later that night, Mangai arrived and took his first victim. After not finding her the next morning, the group believed that Kaantha must have returned to her village, so instead of searching for her, they decided to move on. But hell broke loose at their second stop, and they realized that the legend of Mangai wasn't just a myth.
Melvin was attracted to Jenifer and had planned to express his love for her as soon as he finished the investigation. What Melvin didn't understand was that just because he had feelings for someone didn't mean she reciprocated the feelings. And even if, on the one hand, we believed he did, Melvin crossed the line and did something he shouldn't have. After a couple of drinks, they all went to sleep in the tent. Melvin started forcing himself on Jenifer, and he didn't stop until she screamed and pushed him away. Still, Melvin didn't regret what he had done, blaming Jenifer for his erratic behavior. Jenifer decided to travel to the next spot, along with Rishi, as she didn't want to be around Melvin. After they left, Melvin and Ankitha became intimate, as the latter had apparently always had feelings for him. Ankitha noticed that Rishi had taken all the cigarettes, so she too decided to find them in the dead of night. On their way, Ankitha saw Kaantha's corpse, but before she could do anything else, Mangai killed her as well. It seems the belief that Mangai was attracted to human blood was true. Rishi went to find Ankitha and left Jenifer behind, hoping nothing would happen to them. But both were also killed in the same brutal manner. Mangai's bloodlust seemed endless as he made his way toward his fifth and final victim through the darkness of the cursed forest.
Melvin, still quite drunk, regained consciousness when he realized someone was unzipping his tent from outside. Melvin fled for his life and ended up in the same lake where Saptha Kanni bathed. The village elder had told the group that if anyone saw the goddesses bathing, they would get angry, and that is what happened at the end of Murmur. Although Melvin saw the goddesses, he too fell prey to the wandering ghost. It could be that one of the goddesses killed Melvin because the young man unwittingly interrupted her sacred ritual.
Murmur never told us why Mangai practiced black magic or how he became a cannibal, believing he was obeying the villagers. Melvin and his group had a face-to-face encounter with the ghost, but none of them survived to tell the tale. As mentioned at the beginning, the police, after several days, found his camera and seven hours of footage, thanks to which they learned what happened. I believe no one dared to set foot in the forest after that incident, as the images were enough to shock any self-proclaimed paranormal investigator who disrespected the local culture and ignored the locals' beliefs. The film didn't explain the motive or show us a pattern behind all the deaths we witnessed throughout its footage. However, if I theorize that it was the actions of people that led to her fate, then perhaps young Kaantha didn't really die. It could be that she returned to her village, and the girl the protagonists saw after her disappearance was a Mangai transforming into Kaantha. That said, the ghost had been killing people, likely to protect the sanctity of the forest, and only let Kaantha live because she hadn't harmed anyone with the ancient rituals of that place.
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