Idiyan Chanthu Malayalam Movie
Here the protagonist unintentionally lands in situations where he is pigeonholed as a problem-creator. As a child, Chandhu deserves to be empathized for being mistaken by others and tagged wrongly. The film opens by showing Chandhu as a brat who becomes the object of displeasure of his parents. Adding to the hero's conflict as a child is his father's torturous treatment of his mother. At the outset, writer-director Sreejith Vijayan neatly establishes the dilemma and mental conflict of Chandhu but going forward, the events in the tale are pretty contrived and lacklustre. Playing the titular character is a snap for Vishnu Unnikrishnan as he handles action sequences with ease; yet his stoic mien seldom alter the fortunes of 'Idiyan Chandhu'.
As an action drama, the movie is stylish and compact in appearance despite its soulless script that sprinkles didactic and cliched reference to a drug mafia. An ordinary schoolboy from Palluruthi in Kochi, Chandhu's life turns upside down due to his father Chandran (Sreejith Ravi), a corrupt and avaricious policeman. Chandhu dislikes his father due to his ill-treatment of his mother Indu (Lenaa). Meanwhile, Chandhu is sent to his uncle Surendran's (Biju Sopanam) house in Kothamanagalam which turns out to be crucial in the life of Chandhu. Predictably, Surendran's wife Manju (Sminu Sijo) keeps an aversion towards Chandhu.
A 22-year-old man as a Plus-2 student is the highlight of the tale but Sreejith delves into the hero's encounter with a drug mafia and its aftermath. Vishnu is apt as a hero who struggles to reconcile with his surroundings. He exudes confidence in portraying the character though there is paucity of genuine situations to give vent to his acting prowess. The sequences in school are marred by lack of creativity in the screenplay. The mayhem in the climax involving school students totally disrupts the texture of 'Idiyan Chandhu' that lethargically leaves scope for its sequel. Since the conflict of Chandhu is the pivotal area of the flick, the writing is too frivolous to burgeon the contours of the tale.
Most of the sequences appear to be born out of contrived ideas accentuated by smartly choreographed action sequences by Peter Hein. Chandhu's problems aggravate when he bumps into Teena (Jayashree) at school and their back story related to her brother Thommi (Gopi Krishnan), a differently-abled child, is a cinematic tool for creating room for romance. Sneha teacher, played by Gayathri Arun, is another vital character that redefines the life of Chandhu. Lalu Alex as a maverick school principal appears in a trite role and his approach in the climax is the most immature demeanour from the part of a principal of a reputed school.
Lena is effortless in handling a character that undergoes emotional turmoil and her effective performance holds the film from being weighed down by sentimental depth. The artificial exuberance of Chandhu's childhood friend Durga, played by Vidya Vijayakumar, is really a distraction occasionally though the character gains attention in the latter half. Johny Antony as PTA President Karate Kunjachan is a passable character who quite often succumbs to the orders of his son Thommi. Dunked in smart action sequences, 'Idiyan Chandhu' shines in that area; but this action drama is bereft of a solid script. It suffers from a poorly conceived screenplay and thus struggles to fight its way out from far-fetched ideas.
