With Biju Menon and Asif Ali in cop roles, this investigative thriller is like untangling the tight knots surrounding a murder and the loopholes within. And the duo have managed to pull off the roles of the "men in uniform" pretty convincingly.
Biju Menon was last seen in a police drama when he essayed the role of a constable in the comedy-drama ‘Thundu.’ This time, he is a Circle Inspector who is no pushover, a serious officer with little time for enjoyment. The occasional build-up to his character, Jayashankar, with an acrimonious approach holds central to the plot.
Sub Inspector Karthik Vasudevan (Asif Ali) who is an idealistic cop, throws himself into some bitter rifts with Jayashankar. The character differences established through the narrative, make the audience believe this might be yet another battle for power between the two cops. But the story builds to a different angle as the plot develops.
The thread of the story can get confusing in several instances, with numerous character involvements and past events, but clarity is later established in the plot as the mystery unfolds. The first half of the story is an introduction to the life of the two cops and the occasional rifts that they encounter with each other. Even though a lot of dots are left disjointed in the first half, the plot swiftly travels through the frames of past and present to connect the links of several characters to the missing puzzle in the story.
The role of female characters is also notable with Anusree playing the character of Remya and Miya George as the wife of Jayashankar.
Just like other cop films in the Malayalam cinema, this movie also brings to light the question of power and the limitations of working under the superior police officers. The background of the film slowly attains a grimness towards the second half with an eerie environment, to accelerate the mystery attached to the story. The occasional involvement of dim lights in the background towards the end, makes it quite baffling.
Overall, the story is less predictable making it a decent investigative thriller. The story can also be considered as an example of whodunnit, where the identity of the murderer is revealed not until the story reaches the end.
Movie: Thalavan
Cast: Biju Menon, Asif Ali, Miya George, Anusree, Dileesh Pothan, Jaffar Idukki, Kottayam Nazeer
Director: Jis Joy
Rating: 3/5
