Feb. 20, 2020|India|170 Min.|Not Rated
Genre: Crime;Drama;South;Indian
Description: Trance is a 2020 Indian Malayalam psychological thriller directed by Anwar Rasheed and written by Vincent Vadakkan. The film stars Fahadh Faasil in the lead role, supported by actors like Dileesh Pothan, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Nazriya Nazim, Chemban Vinod, and Soubin Shahir. Produced under the banner of Anwar Rasheed Entertainments, the movie explores themes of substance dependence, religion, and the commercialization of spirituality. The story follows Viju Prasad, an atheist motivational speaker from Kanyakumari, who is hired by a fraudulent agency to impersonate a Christian pastor.
This project marked Rasheed’s return to direction after nearly eight years, following his work on *Ustad Hotel* (2012). With a budget of ₹35 crore, filming began in July 2017 and concluded in September 2019. The movie was primarily shot in Kanyakumari, Mumbai, and Dubai, becoming the first Malayalam film to utilize Bolt High-Speed Cinebot cameras and sync sound technology. The soundtrack was composed by Jackson Vijayan, with the title song by Vinayakan TK and background score by Vijayan and Sushin Shyam. Cinematography was handled by Amal Neerad, and editing by Praveen Prabhakar.
Initially scheduled for release in March 2019, the film faced multiple delays due to production and censorship issues. A week before its official release, the movie was leaked on a piracy site. It eventually premiered in Kerala on February 20, 2020, and across India on February 28. Despite the leak, *Trance* received positive reviews for Faasil’s performance, direction, writing, and screenplay. The film was later made available on digital platforms.
The narrative revolves around Viju Prasad’s life, who moves to Mumbai after the tragic suicide of his mentally unstable younger brother, Kunjan. In Mumbai, he encounters fraudsters Solomon Davis and Issac Thomas through a casting director named Kavitha. They hire him to pose as a pastor and perform fake miracles. Viju is sent to Kochi, where he undergoes training and adopts the name Joshua Carlton.
Cast director: Anwar Rasheed
Cast actor: Fahadh Faasil, Nazriya Nazim, Dileesh Pothan, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Sreenath Bhasi, Soubin Shahir, Chemban Vinod Jose, Vinayakan, Jinu Joseph, Srinda Arhaan
Original name: ട്രാന്സ്