The Hindu : Kerala News : Doing the cloak-and-dagger stuff, again and again

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Kerala

Doing the cloak-and-dagger stuff, again and again

Mammootty in Roudram

Roudram

There are occasions in a film when certain scenes build up to the main, most important shot. If minutely watched, this film looks like always in preparatory mode, all characters swearing to do something spectacular, but at the time of deliverance, it is a case of too little and too late.

Ranji Panicker, director and story and dialogue writer, has made yet another film on his favourite theme of corrupt, harmful politicians and police officers in connivance with the real-estate mafia, and, this time, even a Dhyana Kendra.

How long will the audience haplessly watch actors blaring out routine, pedestrian dialogues delivered at a full throttle, often swearing to kill each other, and the police, as usual, playing hide and seek.

Inspector Narendran (Mammooty) is a conscientious police officer hell-bent on breaking a gang of goons who annihilate anyone who dares to come in the way of their evil designs. He suspects foul play when a person is found dead in what looks like a hit-and-run case. What he unearths is a caucus of a senior police officer; a criminal-turned-politician, Purushothaman (Vijayaraghavan); and a land-grabber, Sethu (Sai Kumar).

Mamootty is cast in a role tailor-made for Suresh Gopi. Dialogues seem never-ending and border on boredom. There is more sound than action in the film.

Rajan P. Dev, as a foul-mouthed but affectionate police officer, impresses. Saikumar puts in a power-packed performance. Vijayaraghavan is getting typecast in the roles of bad old men. There is no song in this action-packed thriller.

A Correspondent

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