Action Hero Biju (Malayalam, 2016)

Keeping the chastity of the script and characters intact when the movie translates from the paper to celluloid has always been a task difficult to achieve. The director Abrid Shine , however, seems to have the Midas touch. The taut screenplay of throwing one sub plot after another while keeping the entertainment quotient at good level shows the trust that the director has on the viewers.

Having one sane star among strong supporting cast is a decision that very few directors and producers agree upon. This, however, has worked to the advantage as the prime focus is the policeman and his life while the characters are seen passing through his typical day. To add a personal signature, every character has something very unique which would make you remember them; for example the drunkard who steals the walkie talkie, the folk singer who is a domestic nuisance in a locality.

The spectrum of emotions traversed is diverse ranging from love, anger, passion, honesty, friendship and relaxation. Seeing Nivin enjoying a song at the police station and the way he treats the convicts with his key weapon of coconut adds so much authenticity. The transitions between few scenes like the static hospital stretcher wheels transitioning to a moving stretcher creates a tingle for an avid movie watcher, the repetitive point of view shot of Biju in his station cabin with the door opened by his colleague is also quite commendable

The non-linear story telling makes the story a bit difficult to follow and a tad jumpy for regular audience. The marriage track too seems to travel with the movie like an after-thought and appears a bit imposed at places. Similarly, the choice of heroine and the parents of Biju could have been better as they never seem to add the necessary strength (or be a worthy weakness) as one might imagine.