It's always interesting to see filmmakers who revel in light-hearted commercial cinema take the plunge into darkness. Martin Prakkat - director of Best Actor, ABCD, and Charlie - comes up with a gutsy, hard-hitting affair in Nayattu, starring Kunchacko Boban, Joju George, and Nimisha Sajayan. This is a survival-drama-thriller set against the backdrop of elections in Kerala.
Nayattu begins with an interesting tug-of-war scene that you'll circle back to at the end for several reasons. For instance, in thrillers, cops are the quintessential hunters. Here, they're the hunted. Three cops (played by the actors mentioned above) are torn between the government's racy attempt at solving an accidental death case (to appease their vote banks in the upcoming elections) and their ongoing personal issues. A set of immediate personal problems are introduced: Maniyan's daughter is set to participate in a youth festival, which he hopes to attend. Praveen's mother is unwell. Sunitha's house is a work-in-progress.
Writer Shahi Kabir (who previously penned 'Joseph', a film I only mildly liked) keeps the characters and situations rooted in contemporary realism. The cops are often playtoys of the ruling government; we see that politicians are quick to wash their hands off when the public eye is involved. A dialogue from Maniyan early on - an analogy between cops and goons - hits you out of nowhere. I'd say the first half of Nayattu is more of a nail-biter thriller while the second stretches slightly into dramatic territory but in just the right doses.
A slew of solid performances dominates Nayattu. The three leads are terrific. Joju George lives and breathes as Manikyan, adding subtleties that help differentiate him from the other cop roles he has played. Kunchacko Boban is also spot-on as Praveen; he's the more rational one amongst the three and his lines reflect that. Nimisha Sajayan's role is subdued and less vocal, but she ensures that her emoting compensates. The supporting cast is equally good - be it Jaffer Idukki (as the cunning CM), Yama Gilgamesh (as SP Arundhathi), or Anil Nedumangad.
DOP Shyju Khalid's frames focus on the right things. Palpable tension gushes through almost every scene in the first half and even when the setting shifts to Munnar, the camera rarely halts to appreciate the incredible beauty of this place. That final shot of a blind woman casting her vote is a statement in itself - a classic example of good writing boosted by the right visuals. Vishnu Vijay's score elevates the underlying emotions of several scenes.
The only issue I had with Nayattu was its fundamental implication that laws empowering Dalits are often misused. In reality, reported cases of Dalit oppression far outnumber such instances. That hiccup aside, Nayattu is a worthy case study in how to tackle survival thrillers.
Nayattu begins with an interesting tug-of-war scene that you'll circle back to at the end for several reasons. For instance, in thrillers, cops are the quintessential hunters. Here, they're the hunted. Three cops (played by the actors mentioned above) are torn between the government's racy attempt at solving an accidental death case (to appease their vote banks in the upcoming elections) and their ongoing personal issues. A set of immediate personal problems are introduced: Maniyan's daughter is set to participate in a youth festival, which he hopes to attend. Praveen's mother is unwell. Sunitha's house is a work-in-progress.
Writer Shahi Kabir (who previously penned 'Joseph', a film I only mildly liked) keeps the characters and situations rooted in contemporary realism. The cops are often playtoys of the ruling government; we see that politicians are quick to wash their hands off when the public eye is involved. A dialogue from Maniyan early on - an analogy between cops and goons - hits you out of nowhere. I'd say the first half of Nayattu is more of a nail-biter thriller while the second stretches slightly into dramatic territory but in just the right doses.
A slew of solid performances dominates Nayattu. The three leads are terrific. Joju George lives and breathes as Manikyan, adding subtleties that help differentiate him from the other cop roles he has played. Kunchacko Boban is also spot-on as Praveen; he's the more rational one amongst the three and his lines reflect that. Nimisha Sajayan's role is subdued and less vocal, but she ensures that her emoting compensates. The supporting cast is equally good - be it Jaffer Idukki (as the cunning CM), Yama Gilgamesh (as SP Arundhathi), or Anil Nedumangad.
DOP Shyju Khalid's frames focus on the right things. Palpable tension gushes through almost every scene in the first half and even when the setting shifts to Munnar, the camera rarely halts to appreciate the incredible beauty of this place. That final shot of a blind woman casting her vote is a statement in itself - a classic example of good writing boosted by the right visuals. Vishnu Vijay's score elevates the underlying emotions of several scenes.
The only issue I had with Nayattu was its fundamental implication that laws empowering Dalits are often misused. In reality, reported cases of Dalit oppression far outnumber such instances. That hiccup aside, Nayattu is a worthy case study in how to tackle survival thrillers.