Ramaleela Malayalam Movie
What is laudable about director Arun Gopy in "Ramaleela" is his attempt to create a film that personifies his craftsmanship. Starting from the introduction of the hero, the newbie director shies away from the typical gimmicks associated with a Dileep starrer film. He accomplishes the task of keeping the audience engaged till the latter half without adopting familiar tools like action sequences or stunning scenes. What derails his aim to score full marks is the half-baked political story written by Sachy that also takes a tirade at the media in Kerala.
"Ramaleela" showcases a stone-faced Dileep as a young politician and the inner drama in the party. It is a different body language you witness in Dileep without the usual comic gestures. Of course, there are scenes for the fans to cheer them up but notably, the larger-than-life image is subsided. Though Dileep is at ease in his performance, lack of his usual vibrancy will take you by surprise.
With glimpses of a political thriller, the movie follows the life of politician Ramanunni (Dileep) and his astute moves against his rivals in politics. He switches his loyalty from CDP to right-wing party NSP due to his dissent with CDP leader Ambady Mohan (Vijayaraghavan). His decision to contest in bypoll as NSP candidate irritates his mother comrade Ragini (Radhika Sarathkumar) as well as his former party functionaries. He has a strong opponent in NSP in the form of Udayabhanu (Siddique).
Writer Sachy then prepares the ground for a thriller by weaving a murder mystery into the plot. Sachy hinges on modern technology in a bid to unravel the mystery. The effort is appreciable but it makes you frowned at the less convincing measures embraced by the protagonist to prove his innocence. The hidden camera mission, initiated by Helena (Prayaga Martin) appears to be interesting till you realise that even the conversations in a swimming pool are clearly audible through television news channels.
After a certain stage in the story, Sachy has no option but to succumb to the trite ways of commercial formula. Albeit police officer Paulson Devassy (Mukesh) expresses his ideas about the absconded man's whereabouts, there are little hints of search for the suspect except showing police officers rely on google. Take it as the writer's compromise in the script and you are forced to ignore this part as the wait is on for the perpetrator of the murder.
Meanwhile, Arun Gopy could keep the audience engaged by his spirited treatment. His resources start to tumble once the script exposes its banal after a promising start. Comrade Ragini as an influential party member has an importance in the story. In her return to Malayalam Cinema after a hiatus, Radhika Sarathkumar gets the task of keeping an impassive expression throughout the movie. Prayaga Martin's character also has been given importance in the story and she does justice to it.
The cinematography of Shaji Kumar contributes the required mood for the plot. His deftly created visuals, which play a major role in the movie, enable to sustain the curiosity and suspense to an extent.
In short, "Ramaleela" has a befitting package to satiate the whims and fancies of Dileep fans. The mood of a thriller is felt only if you ignore the loopholes and compromise in the script.
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