Thalavan Malayalam Movie
Director Jis Joy starts this investigative thriller with the narration of a murder case by a voluntarily-retired police officer for a TV channel. The flashback set in 2019 throws light on Cheppanamthotta murder case investigated by Sub Inspector Karthik, played by Asif Ali. As a prelude to the proceedings, Jis Joy pans the camera to the egoistic clash between Karthik and Circle Inspector Jayashankar, played by Biju Menon, during their official duty. The best part of 'Thalavan' is that co-writers Sharath Perumbavoor and Anand Thevarkad are able to unfold the layers of the investigation in a convincing manner and it is strongly backed up by the dialogues penned by Jis Joy. When the film enters into the critical stage, the egoism of two protagonists give way to the search for the real culprit of the murder in which Jayashankar has been framed as an accused.
Thanks to the neat script, everything is in order for this thriller albeit there is volatility in the intensity of events at times. The director never tries to amp it up with flashy and embellished shots or frames to bring about more sparks to the movie. Indeed, a convincing story and realistic story-telling are the real strengths of this flick, which has cinematography by Sharan Velayudhan. Asif Ali and Biju Menon are equally poised in their respective roles being conceived as occupying two extreme positions.
Jayashankar lands in soup when a corpse is found in his house one fine morning when his wife Sunitha (Mia George) goes to her house. His colleague Reghu (Kottayam Nazeer), who had got setbacks in his official service due to Jayashankar's interventions, is glad to see the quagmire in which his superior officer is trapped in. Reghu also spreads gossip regarding Jayashankar's meetings with Remya (Anusree), whose husband Joshy, essayed by Sujith Shankar, had mistakenly attacked Sunitha. The film turns out to be a drama of emotions in certain areas when the personal lives of vital characters are entwined to the narration.
A smart and elegant Asif Ali impressively brings in ample charm to the character. In fact, Karthik is a straight-forward character who sincerely probes the case and wants to prove the innocence of his superior despite his enmity with the latter. 'Thalavan' presents Biju Menon as a strict police officer who weighs up situations before making decisions. The mien and natural transformation in Biju is vivid as the events progress without any hindrance in the flow. Anusree as Ramya forms a vital character in the tale as an ordinary housewife and she was able to convince the hapless state of the character.
The upshot of the plot can be seen as the domino effect of the deeds of one of the police officers and it has been conceived tightly in the script. The sober nature of Thalavan, with its engaging moments, creates a staggering atmosphere of suspense. Interestingly, the screenplay accomplishes in obliterating the flaws without being traced easily. Indeed, absence of a compelling treatment hardly takes sheen away from Jis Joy-directed thriller that is guided by a decent content.
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