Solo

"Solo" (2017) is a Malayalam anthology film directed and written by Bejoy Nambiar, with Dulquer Salmaan playing four different characters: Shekhar, Trilok, Shiva, and Rudra. The movie consists of four different stories, each connecting to one of the four elements: Water, Wind, Fire, and Earth, and reflects an element of Lord Shiva in each character.

In "World of Shekhar," from Water, Shekhar (Dulquer) is a positive-thinking man who stutters and falls in love with Radhika (Dhansika), a blind dancer. Unlike family opposition and clinical issues, the couple becomes married, only for Radhika to die after delivering their daughter. Shekhar, despite being traumatized, takes to their daughter affectionately.

"World of Trilok," linked to Wind, tells the story of Dr. Trilok Menon (Dulquer) who secretly seeks revenge on those responsible for his wife Aisha's (Arthi Venkatesh) murder. He gets Justin (Anson Paul), the man who helped conceal her killing, drunk and renders him brain dead.

"World of Shiva," which is a Fire adaptation, is the story of gangster Shiva (Dulquer) and his revenge seeking after his father's murder. Shiva is killed in a gory duel, and his closest friend Siddhu finds out that the man he killed was his uncle, leaving him broken.

Finally, in "World of Rudra," based on Earth, Rudra's (Dulquer) love becomes sinister when he finds out his lover Akshara (Neha Sharma) is his half-sister, born out of his father's infidelity. He apologizes at her wedding, leaving his past behind.

"Solo" is a brave and emotional movie that fuses art with mainstream storytelling. Dulquer Salmaan delivers four strong and very different performances, making each of the characters memorable. The visuals, music, and emotional depth bring out in every story. While not a traditional commercial, it's a bold attempt that leaves space for love, loss, revenge, and fate in innovative manners. The movie may be convoluted at some point, but to fans of layered narratives and dramatic emotions, Solo leaves a memorable mark.