Iratta Malayalam Movie

Feature Film | 2023 | Crime, Drama | 1h 50min
Critics:
Audience:
The writing in Iratta is a mixed bag, but the acting and plot are so good that the film is consistently fascinating. There is a big twist in the plot and an even better piece of narration that give a new dimension to the twin characters and the title of the film.
Feb 18, 2023 By Sreejith Mullappilly

Where To Watch:
Streaming:
   Netflix

Rohit M.G. Krishnan's Iratta (Double) features Joju George as twins, Pramod and Vinod. The film mostly revolves around a police station. A cop is found dead inside the station on the day of a minister's visit there. Three officers are suspected of the crime, and the movie spends a considerable amount of time explaining each of their possible motives for it.


At some point, the focus of the narrative related to the investigation shifts to the twins. This is presented with flashbacks as a part of the narrative involving all the suspects of the crime. According to their narration, Pramod looks more morally upright and sociable, whereas Vinod looks like he is the product of a bad upbringing. The narrators portray Vinod as someone who drinks a lot, picks fights with people just to beat them to a pulp, and treats women as his sex toys. But this could also be a narrative ploy to pull the rug from underneath. As we always say in movies like these, looks can be deceiving. That said, the two characters could not be more different.


What runs parallel to the investigation plot is the track that explains how and why Pramod and Vinod differ a lot, despite being brothers. Childhood trauma is sometimes used as a bit of an excuse for how a character behaves in a movie. It is true that childhood trauma influences a person's character in the future, but the makers of Iratta kind of use it as a lame excuse for how Vinod behaves. The writing is not as clever in these portions of the movie as it is elsewhere, but the acting and the plot are so good that the film is consistently fascinating.


There is a big twist in the plot and an even better piece of narration that gives a whole new dimension to the twin characters and the title of the movie. Iratta is one of those movies that works wonders as a suspense thriller, even though the drama is nothing out of the ordinary.


I wish actors like Anjali and Srinda had better roles. Anjali mostly remains a stoic presence in the film, and Srinda's minister character says the same dialogue over and over. Srinda looks convincing enough as a minister, but the writing is not up to the mark.


The writing for the twin characters is quite good, though. Joju George is so good when it comes to differentiating his two characters here. He makes it believable that these are two different personalities we are watching, with just enough changes in appearance. Some of the expressions of the actor convey deeper implications than what is being conveyed on screen.

Sreejith Mullappilly

   

MOVIE REVIEWS