Scream Stream: Why Madhavan's Yavarum Nalam aka 13B is an essential Indian horror watch

What if your TV shows your future, isn't that exciting and terrifying at the same time? But not for Manohar and his family in Yavarum Nalam (Tamil) aka 13B: Fear Has a New Address (Hindi). The bilingual horror flick released in 2009 features Madhavan in the lead role along with Neetu Chandra, Sachin Khedekar, Deepak Dobriyal, Ravi Babu and Murali Sharma.

The highlight of the film is the screenplay and direction, both done by Vikram Kumar. And PC Sreeram's cinematography is the cherry on top.

For the uninitiated, the premise is that Manohar (Madhavan) and his family shift to a new home which is 13B and enjoy the new beginnings in the new apartment. The family enjoys a TV show titled Yavarum Nalam (Sab Khairiyat in Hindi) where the plot is quite similar to their lives. No one except Manohar finds the similarity very eerie, as it predicts shows what the future holds for them which include his sister’s graduation, his wife's pregnancy and miscarriage, and other incidents.

Little does Manohar know that the cast in the TV show are only visible to him and his family. While other households have a different version of Yavarum Nalam (Sab Khairiyat) being aired on their television sets.

The film has all the horror elements including a visually impaired man having a dog who constantly digs up something, a working lift which only stops when Manohar enters it and more.

There are a few sequences in the film which are etched fresh on my mind: one is Madhavan’s character Manohar climbing the stairs but failing to reach the 13th floor where he resides. It’s a nightmare of many and the sequence is well shot to even leave the viewers drenched in sweat.

13B also depicts mental illness among the main plotline, and how stalking and obsession over a television celebrity can only be called dangerous. But it's the claustrophobic and dark setup that makes the movie-watching experience truly horrifying.

This makes 13B a linear horror film with no over dramatisation in the screenplay. However, the loud acting by a few actors here and there is a put-off.

The film is more on the lines of whodunnit because even as the viewers you try to seek justice for the family who was killed off in one single night. Thus making the film a vengeful suspense horror thriller, a rarity in Indian cinema.

13B makes for an open and shut film with every question which forms the first half being answered one by one in the second half. The story is from Madhavan’s point of view who also represents the viewers. The maker shot the film in such a way that when he learns a piece of new information, his reaction is quite similar to the people who are watching the film.

The film came out 12 years back where there was hardly any presence of OTT and TV was the go-to entertainment medium. 13B makes the villain out of the television sets and even the make-believe format is easier to freak out the viewers.

Just a few weeks before the release of 13B, Mohit Suri's directorial Raaz: The Mystery Continues was released on the big screen. Although the film had a 'different' horror approach, 13B was entirely a fresh concept making a prop of television sets among the main characters.

The film ends on a cliffhanger with a potential sequel, but it's been more than a decade and fans are waiting for a green signal from the makers.