Written, Edited and Directed by: Mahesh Narayanan
Starring: Fahadh Faasil, Nimisha Sajayan
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
The film has a terrific sense of visual grammar. The setting of the film is extremely important, it's part of the premise. Communal riots, being a major conflict of the film, we have to understand the people in the setting. The setting comes through beautifully with the craft of the film, especially the long takes and the wide shots. Fahadh's performance is riveting, the way he brings through the pain and power. The parts where Fahadh listens, or reacts, or just looks on, those are the parts where the character comes through the most. I remember having a similar feeling while watching Vijay Sethupathi in Uppena, where he just sits in the car and looks out and I could see character in those shots the best. I think when there's a dialogue or some action for an actor, anybody more or less performs it, but to create intensity without having anything to do, that's something else. Even Frances McDormand in Nomadland. That's another level of intensity.
The film talks about how it's not always about the choices you make, but it's also the situations you are in. The scene where Malik takes his gun out and shoots in the air, to let people into the mosque - he wouldn't be capable of that if not for the situations he's been in. And that's what makes him a powerful man. Him being thrown in the garbage, sheer injustice to his people. So it's almost like he's created through circumstances too as much as his choices. The film operates in the epic gangster saga space, with a time span of decades, with stories of revenge, betrayal, religion, politics and power.
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