Iratta

 Deadly Malayalam crime thriller movie “Iratta” (2023), directed by Rohit M.G. Krishnan and starring Joju George, Anjali, Arya Salim among others.

Its a story of twin brothers Pramod and Vinod (both played by Joju George) and their respective flashback stories. Both were inseparable in childhood, but had to be separated because of their abusive and womanising father.

Vinod had to stay with his father while Pramod went to his mother. Both enter the police and again both have back stories. Vinod is single until he meets Malini (Anjali) who is subjected to beatings by her husband, a pastor.

Pramod had a wife and daughter, but due to alcoholic ways, his wife separated from him for 17 years. Too much of flashbacks take place. Anyways, one fine evening, Vinod is found shot dead in the police station.

There are lots of suspects and investigations and police procedures, to’s and fro’s going on. Vinod is given to gambling and drinking and in one such binge, he comes across a teenaged girl in a lodge and rapes her.

Meanwhile Pramod’s daughter grows up in Mumbai with her mother and she enters the singing contest on live T.V. The ending is quite gut wrenching as Pramod has to deal with some uncertain truths, just when his wife was beginning to reconcile with him.

Joju George has done an absolutely astounding role as the drunken, brazen, cop in two avatars giving it all it requires to deal with the frustrations, despair and sadness. Watch the movie for his acting only. Its breathtaking.

Otherwise the overall script is okay, camera work and cinematography are all good and background music is superb. Rohit M.G. Krishnan has managed to etch a taut crime thriller on the screen with suspense towards the end. IMDB 5/10

Kalikallam

 Action packed Malayalam movie “Kalikkalam” (1990) directed by Sathyan Anthikad and starring Mammootty, Murali, Shobana, Sreenivasan among others.

Its a classic robinhood story as Mammootty is a robber who robs from the rich and corrupt and spends that money for the poor & disadvantaged. He assumes various roles and identities to dupe the police as well.

Murali is a new police officer and honest one at that. Its a cat and mouse between Murali and Mammootty and try as he might, no clues lead the police to the robber.

One too many murders take place and Murali being a suspended police officer on the spot is arrested and tried for murder. Mammootty is moved by that prospect of an innocent police inspector going to jail and makes amends towards that end.

There are many other character actors in the movie including Shobana who is reduced to a side role as somebody who is pining for the robber. Innocent, Mamukoya, Shankarady, Sreenivasan, Sukumari, Philomena all play useful little roles in their inimitable manner.

This is more action oriented than the earlier movies of Sathyan Anthikad. There is an underlying subtext to the movie in the form of subtle messaging towards corrupt persons and innocent guys getting caught instead. Fine acting by Murali — he was such a fantastic actor in the Malayalam cinema. IMDB 5/10