In 'Mumbai Police', Roshan Andrews and writers Bobby and Sanjay, lasso in their audience ever so steadily right into the midst of a steaming eddy. The dark lined elegance that the movie sports, makes it a gritty, knotty thriller - a hardboiled treat.
Antony Moses IPS (Prithviraj) is shattered when his best friend Aryan John Jacob IPS (Jayasurya) is shot dead while about to receive a gallantry award from the Governor. Entrusted with the case investigation by Farhan Aman IPS (Rahman), the Police Commissioner, Antony is within an arm's reach of the culprit, when he meets with an accident and loses his memory.
This is the story of a man, who has to start from the scratch, if he needs to solve the case that he was all set to crack a few days back. Browsing through his haphazard recollections, he unearths one truth after the other, each of which leaves him even more confused. His seemingly irrational decisions leave his team members, especially his assistant Rakhee Menon IPS (Aparna Nair) exasperated.
What makes 'Mumbai Police' interesting is the sense of intrigue that is evenly maintained from start to finish. It surprises us that the film has little to do with the Mumbai Police force as such, and more disclosures lie in store as the film progresses steadily towards a compelling climax.
The tautness that is required of a thriller is evident throughout, and when it finally comes to the revelation that is so vital in a film as this, the writers come up with one dynamite indeed. It's a shocker no doubt, and though it would be impossible for me to reveal any further since the danger of some spoilers creeping in loom large over this review, I would precisely affirm that it's a genuinely convincing twist that Bobby and Sanjay have in store for us this time around.
'Mumbai Police' is a film that involves a huge gamble, in the sense that it defies the conventional protocol that is rigidly maintained in Malayalam cinema, when it comes to sexuality. The highly discomforting cliches that filmmakers have stuck to over the years are kept at bay, and the writers Sanjay and Bobby keep things as close to veracity as is possible.
To state that I am all overwhelmed (in a very positive way) by Prithviraj, the actor, would be an understatement. There has been no questioning his incredible acting prowess as such, and hence what bowls us over in 'Mumbai Police' is his plucky decision to do a role that no mainstream actor has ever perhaps dared to enact in Malayalam cinema. In doing so, he throws open the doors for the winds of change to barge in, and Prithvi truly deserves a standing ovation for his act.
Apart from the very judicious and daring selection of the role, Prithviraj also needs to be applauded for being every bit of the fuming, daredevil cop that he plays on screen - as Antony Moses A and B, he is equally, amazingly good. A much senior assistant sub-inspector (Kunjan), while being admonished for being drunk on duty, explains as to why he had done the unthinkable after several years of meritorious service. A rare theatrical scene that stands out as a black rabbit, it is salvaged purely on account of the empathy and compassion that flows out of Prithviraj's eyes as he acknowledges what the man has been going through, in silence.
Rahman and Jayasurya, along with Aparna Nair and Hima Davis, lend ample support. The musical score by Gopi Sundar retains the thrills to the hilt, while Diwakar's cinematography keeps you perched right on the edges of your seat.
'Mumbai Police' might not be the most unique crime drama that has sashayed down the cinematic aisles. But the expose that it keeps concealed makes it a path breaker without doubt, and its enigmatic premise is more than enough reason for you to spend an evening watching it.
Rating
(3 / 5) : Good
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