‘Mridhu Bhave Dhrida Kruthye’. Gentle in temperament, but agency in motion.
– motto of Kerala Police.
Khaki and the Malayalam movie business have a historical past. On the silver display, that’s. Bharathchandran IPS and Inspector Balram – immortalised by actors Suresh Gopi and Mammootty – are family names for any common Malayali.
However such larger-than-life portrayal of superheroes in uniform noticed a tectonic shift with the discharge of Abrid Shine’s Nivin Pauly-starrer Motion Hero Biju (2016), which showcased the trials and tribulations of a median policeman. It was a trendsetter of kinds, spawning a string of real looking investigative movies involving people in uniform, and staying true to the motto of Kerala Police. Movies like Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Unda, Nayattu, Kuttavum Shikshayum have been a welcome change.
It’s to this style Roby Varghese Raj’s Kannur Squad belongs. Nevertheless it was additionally the debutant filmmaker’s greatest problem – to retain the novelty issue. The movie is impressed by a real-life police group with the identical title, put collectively by former Kannur SP Sreejith. Mammootty essays the function of ASI George Martin who leads the group of 4 – the others being Jayan (Rony David), Shafi (Shabareesh Varma) and Jose (Azeez Nedumangad) – which investigates a high-profile homicide case, which takes them on a cat-and-mouse chase throughout the nation.
The trailer had invoked comparisons with Rajeev Ravi’s Kuttavum Shikshayum, which had the same storyline. One can’t deny the similarities, however the writers (one being the actor, Rony David) have ensured these are saved to a minimal. One might even be reminded of the Tamil flick Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru but it surely stands aside due to the remedy of the protagonist.
That is the place Kannur Squad breaks free from the pack. The presence of a veteran like Mammootty on the forefront, takes the movie a notch larger. Whereas Kuttavum Shikshayum was too real looking (and, maybe, flat) to digest for some, Kannur Squad has sequences – the battle scenes, particularly – which increase the tempo of the movie from time to time. Sushin Shyam’s pulsating background rating and music assist, in fact. There are shades of the good Mammootty-starrer Unda in Kannur Squad however ASI George Martin is just not SI Manikandan. With the newest flick, the legendary actor has continued his spectacular run publish the pandemic, which has seen gems like Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, Puzhu, Rorschach and Bheeshma Parvam.
Nevertheless it’s not a Mammootty present all the way in which. The subsequent character of substance is definitely CPO Jayan, which Rony has written for himself. He’s temperamental, flawed however as actual as some other man subsequent door. The strain within the group due to him smoulders like a dying ember earlier than bursting into flames at an important juncture within the movie. Azeez and Shabareesh, too, have accomplished full justice to their characters. One other actor who deserves a particular point out is Arjun Radhakrishnan. If Shyam in Expensive Buddy was a spark, Ameer in Kannur Squad is hearth. Be careful for him.
There are hardly any feminine characters within the movie, but it surely works within the movie’s favour.
The script could seem cliched (and flawed) at occasions, but it surely succeeds in holding the viewer’s consideration. The portrayal of efforts in zeroing down on the criminals in Kannur Squad is mind-boggling. It’s via such movies a layman understands the struggles of the police to crack a case. Not each mission is successful, however they’ve to remain agency.
Movie: Kannur Squad
Language: Malayalam
Director: Roby Varghese Raj
Forged: Mammootty, Rony David, Azeez Nedumangad, Shabareesh Varma and others
Score: 3.5/5
