Edakkad Battalion 06 Malayalam Movie
From the very first shot, the deep harmony among the villagers is vivid in 'Edakkad Battalion 06'. A close-knit community is in the limelight and obviously, hatred is kept at bay for the most part. Debutant director Swapnesh K Nair gives an eloquent narration that is filled with patriotism in the upfront; though you may feel the subject as trite at sometimes owing to its didactic nature. Barring this factor, Swapnesh succeeds in conveying the theme succinctly sans unwanted elaboration.
The film, written by actor-director P Balachandran, follows the family of famous biriyani cook Mohammed Kutty (P. Balachandran), whose wife Suraya (Rekha) is a panchayat member. Mohammed's son Captain Shafeek Mohammed (Tovino Thomas) is a well-respected young man at Edakkad village in Kozhikode. Shafeek is feared by some carefree youths of his village as he warned them of their erratic behaviour and consumption of drugs. So, they, mainly Asokan (Shalu Rahim), want to take revenge on him.
Tovino appears as a role model for all as he takes pride in joining the army. One can see the character talks passionately about the life of soldiers in school. Tovino dominates the movie with apt mien the character demands. Albeit powerful or challenging moments are hard to come by, Tovino makes his presence spread with a delightful appearance.
Since the whole idea is to glorify the profession of the protagonist, there is hardly any intensity in the conflict. 'Edakkad Battalion 06' has a well-intended plot with a decent narration albeit the theme is confined to cliched and didactic elements.
Samyuktha Menon as Naina Fatima, a school teacher, has a usual appearance. Nirmal Palazhi plays Sankaran, the bosom friend of Shafeek. Nirmal gets ample room for performance and he fulfills it neatly. The screenplay has its focus on a familiar theme that has not many dimensions here. The hackneyed content overcomes its drawbacks with the aid of a good attempt made by the director. The positive vibes here are not totally fresh yet this Tovino-starrer stands for a cause.
The whole affair is dedicated to the martyrs and brave soldiers, but the script fails to claim any novelty in the process. It seems more thrust has been given to a message-driven content, which is evidently the undertone of the movie. Meanwhile, Sinu Sidharth's cinematography and the music by Kailas Menon are noteworthy in 'Edakkad Battalion 06', and one of the songs shot in Kashmir is melodious and visually appealing as well.
MOVIE REVIEWS