Dafedar Malayalam Movie

Feature Film | 2016 | U | Family Drama
Critics:
Audience:
Daffedar is a shoddily conceived and lamely made film with a solid lead performer.
Oct 25, 2016 By TRV


Government servants especially those belonging to the lower rungs of hierarchy are expected by default to keep a servile attitude to their bosses. This is especially true when it comes to judiciary and other such departments which have a colonial hangover. Daffedar is one such designation in which an employee is judged by his docility which passes of as devotion to duty. Honesty is always a virtue but when it becomes an obsession, practical life can become cumbersome. A retired Daffedar who faces hiccups in life due to his unwavering attachment to his job, Daffedar tries to unveil the ups and downs in the life of a government servant in his post retirement life.



Ayyappan (Tini Tom) was the byword for perfection and honesty and his devotion to duty was such that it bordered on obsession. He identified with his job and basically he ambles about the District Collectorate every morning in his erstwhile uniform, despite being a retiree. He strikes a bond with the complainants and does his bit to get their grievances redressed. His ways don't go down well with his sons. The ostentatious lifestyle of his children doesn't enthuse him even a wee bit. The problem with Daffedar is that it is built on a shaky foundation. The script is contrived and the excessive focus on the protagonist at the cost of a good storyline pegs it back. The upright old man and his run-ins with his corrupt sons look hackneyed.



The home nurse character that is brought in looks like an illogical effort to rope in a female lead character for the sake of it. The 65-year-old Daffedar is uncomfortable with the comforts gifted by his well-off sons. He craves for his sons to be like him but expectedly they do not oblige. The script flags progressively and ultimately results in the film becoming an inert effort.



Tini Tom is the sole saving grace and his soulful portrayal of a role that demands him to stretch his histrionic skills makes Daffedar passable on occasions. The character of Malavika Nair as a bubbly young 'caretaker' looks out of place and with exaggerated dialogue delivery things become insufferable. There is nothing noteworthy vis-a-vis performances or technical elements either. Daffedar is a shoddily conceived and lamely made film with a solid lead performer.


TRV

   

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