This is an original movie review written and edited by Anoop Prathapan
This review was written on the 3rd of October 2021
Indian Language Malayalam Feature Film
Amazon Prime Movies exclusive release date 11/8/2021
Written by Aneesh Pallyal
Directed by Manu Warrier
Original Song and Background Score by Jakes Bejoy
Produced by Ms. Supriya Menon for M/s Prithviraj Productions
Feature Film Running time 120 minutes (approx.)
The Malayalam film Kuruthi, a socio-political thriller – as the makers claim - was released on Amazon Prime, a day after the great August 10 and I could watch it only now. It is an intense new age drama that concentrates on the prevailing communal hatred in Kerala. Ibrahim, Resool and his ailing dad live in a remote hilly village in Kerala as neighbours to Suma and her brother. Both families suffered major losses in the previous years' landslide. On a usual night when the dad and his two sons engage in a very usual verbal duel with each other, comes running in Sub Inspector Sathyan, played to perfection by Murali Gopi, with a handcuffed man, who is a Hindu fanatic who just killed a Muslim elderly man. After a while, Laiq (played by Prithviraj) comes in to capture the Hindu boy as it is revealed that the elderly man whom the boy killed was Laiq’s dad. SI Sathyan soon gets killed in an encounter with Laiq. How Laiq and his aide corners the Hindu fanatic, how the religious and communal inclinations of each of the characters propel the story forward and what eventually happens to each of the characters form the rest of the story.
It is a bold attempt by the director Manu Warrier in his maiden outing in Malayalam for delving into such a theme with utmost care. The narrative is all about the communal bitterness that we needlessly cultivate in the younger generation that automatically pulls down their tolerance level towards anyone and anything. The writer Aneesh Pallyal wrote decent thriller-quality stuff until Laiq came in. After that, a lesser melodrama would have made the narrative more intriguing. It is medically unbelievable to a doctor like me how somebody whose right forearm is torn from wrist to the elbow with a knife can do so much in the movie after, including lifting his hurt dad in the woods. The only thing he apparently says he cannot do with that arm was driving...!!!
Prithviraj was NOT AT ALL convincing in this avatar of a religious extremist and I felt he overdid his expressions quite a bit from his scene one. Fahad Fasil would have been a far better choice for this role than Prithviraj with his sharper looks and subtle expressions. Roshan Mathew did his job reasonably well. Srinda, Naslen and Manikantan made good use of the opportunity. Shine Tom Chacko had nothing much to do on screen before getting dead lying upside down. Veteran Mamukkoya was the star of the show with his stupidity at times and farsightedness at times.
Technical aspects were near-perfect. Subtitles were correct as Vivek Ranjit has done an outstanding job. Music was the only aspect that was PATHETIC in the film. I have this feeling that with each new movie in Malayalam, the quality of music is going down - re-recording is loud and noisy and the songs make you puke. There is no actual music in there. I think Jakes Bejoy, Shan Rahman, 4 musics, Sushin Shyam and many such newbies be kept aside and veterans MJ, Ouseppachan, Vidyasagar and the like be invited back to the industry so that real music prevails.
Altogether, it is a good one time watch strictly for adults (due to the violence)
My rating 6.5/10
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