Ever since the COVID crisis began, the law & order unit has been working hand in glove with the health department to ensure that the situation doesnt drift beyond control. They surely have been capable of doing it to a certain extent until the election campaign came around which made a mockery of all the restrictions & now the nation is facing the after effects of it. This is just a glimpse as to how the police force is reduced to a puppet that is forced to function to the whims & fancies of the political parties. In effect, the police are more often than not helpless (though there is no denying the fact that there are black sheep among their midst as well) & that is the premises for Martin Prakkat's "Nayattu". It basically shows that the lines of demarcation between the hunter & the hunted isn't as stark as one believes it to be.
Praveen Michael (Kunchacko Boban) had recently joined the police force & worked as the subordinate to senior officer Maniyan (Joju George). One of his colleagues, woman constable Sunitha (Nimisha Sajayan) filed a complaint against one of her relatives who was part of a political outfit with Dalit ties. A series of events that unfold in the police station subsequently found the three of them in the middle of a political storm. To make matters worse, one of the companions of the accused met with an accident & the trio were left no choice but to abscond until they could clear their names of the charge. Will they be able to prove their innocence or will the system that they sincerely served plot their downfall???
After the fantastic "Joseph", this is yet another brilliant script penned by the talented Shahi Kabir. If the previous one was a crime thriller, this one can be classified as a survival thriller where we are exposed to the workings of the political system & the steps that they adopt to secure their vote bank. In the process, many lives gets withered for others to realise their political ambition even if it belongs to the their own hunters who eventually becomes the hunted when the tables changed with time. I have always been a fan of Martin's movies that are colourful & entertaining, but over here he has opted for a raw feel to the situations. He cleverly gives us an insight into the families of the three main characters & the pressures that they are forced to withstand through the use of well placed dialogues. If at all, there is a flaw then it would be depiction of Dalit laws being misused which though true is miniscule when compared to the oppression that they face ("Karnan" that was discussed yday is an ideal example for that).
On the technical side, when the DoP is Shyju Khalid, do I even need to say more; as it would be excellent as always. Kudos to Mahesh Narayanan's editing for giving that edgy feel to the proceedings & equally impressive was the BGM. As for the cast, each & everyone have done their parts really well. Joju was head & shoulders the best among the lot and it would be hard not to empathize with his character. Nimisha might have limited dialogues but she conveyed oodles with her expressions (dont miss the stare between her & a female police officer that spoke volumes). Chackochan has done his part aptly while Jaffer Idukki has well & truly established himself as a solid supporting artist in recent times. Even others like Yama Gilgamesh (as SP Arundhati), the late Anil Nedumangad did justice to their roles.
Verdict: Undoubtedly one of the finest or more appropriately, haunting culmination that you would have watched in quite a while. It would surely make us look at many events that unfolds in front of us from a different perspective. In short, it's a must watch!!!
Rating: 4.25/5
Regards...Ben
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