Detective Malayalam Movie
Detective, the debut directorial venture of Jeethu Joseph, is a rather well made suspense-thriller, which keeps you glued to your seats, but at times lets a yawn escape your mouth too. The film has almost all the elements of a typical suspense thriller but provides nothing new, except for the fact that Suresh Gopi does a double role. Though Detective satisfies you as a suspense thriller, it doesn't satisfy you much as a film.
The story begins from where young Reshmi, the wife of an idealistic young politician Mohan Kumar, is found dead in her own bedroom, presumably killing herself consuming rat-poison. Mohan Kumar at this juncture, is getting ready to contest the coming assembly bye-elections and his victory is certain, considering his mass appeal, his honesty and integrity. However, when the police begin the investigations, they get a note written by Reshmi saying her suicide is a result of the cruelties inflicted on her by her husband.
Mohan is arrested and his political career seems to be heading for a nose dive. His friend Kumbalam Jose is now chosen as the new candidate. Meanwhile Reshmi's father Prabhakaran Thampi, using his influence coaxes the opposition leader to press for the investigation to be handed over to Shyam Prasad, a brilliant officer. Prabhakaran Thampi believes that it is Mohan who killed his daughter, and feels that if the investigation is not handled properly, Mohan would go scot-free.
Shyam Prasad is actually Mohan's step-brother but hates Mohan because he feels that his birth has brought disgrace on the family. Mohan is apprehensive that if Shyam is put in charge of the case, he will bend the law to get him implicated, and tries to have him removed. But Shyam gets the job and his team begins the investigation. The opposition leader mean while persuades the DGP to include his brother-in-law Chandrachoodan in the investigating team so he can keep abreast of developments. What unfolds in the course of the investigation forms the plot of Detective.
Suresh Gopi as Shyam Prasad looks smart, but doubling as Mohan Kumar looks rather uncomfortable. Sindhu Menon as Reshmi is not bad. Jagathy Sreekumar as Chandrachoodan is his usual comic self, but why he mysteriously disappears after a few scenes and that too mid-way through the investigation of which he too is a part, remains unexplained.
Madhu Warrier as Shyam Prasad's assistant Basheer looks good, but his dialogue delivery remains poor and unimpressive. Saikumar as S.P. James Joseph, Prem Prakash as the Chief Minister, Cochin Haneefa as the opposition leader, Augustine as Mohan's neighbour Thankachchan, Babu Namboothiri as Reshmi's father Prabhakaran Thampi, Baiju as Reshmi's cousin Suresh, Koottikkal Jayachandran as the milk-man Ashokan, and Kalabhavan Prachod as Ashokan's younger brother Sumesh are OK.
Cinematography by Anandakuttan and editing by P.C. Mohanan suit the subject and the mood of the film. Rajamani gives good support with his background score. The cliched way in which the film progresses however, makes it just one of those many suspense-thrillers, with nothing special to write home about. Summing it up, Detective is not a bad film and is definitely worth a watch, but it could have been made better.
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