Just a couple of weeks more before we step foot into 2026 and as expected there are quite a few releases that has either released or gearing up to do so. Though it's been a busy time on the professional front, I made sure that I found the time to check out some of the flicks and web series that released over the past month or so., such as "Kalamkaval", "Dhurandhar", Season 3 of "The Family Man" & "Delhi Crime" etc. Hence this particular opinion piece is about Jithin K Jose's "Kalamkaval" that saw Mammookka return to the big screen after a short break due to his illness. The legend was top notch as has been largely the trend over the past few years, but did the movie live upto expectations???
Even while the movie was being made, there were talks about Mammookka being the antagonist with the story being based on Cyanide Mohan. Well those assumptions turned out to be true though it is not a biography of that dreaded killer. Set in the early 2000s, SI Jayakrishnan (Vinayakan) is assigned with the responsibility to investigate the flare up that seemed to threaten a full blown communal riot, as a girl had eloped with a guy from a different community. However, it soon became evident that it was a case of misunderstanding as the girl had indeed eloped but it was with someone else. Interestingly, his investigation led him to another girl who had also similarly disappeared & that sequence continued to many more.
Before I talk about Jithin's directorial skills, let's see how he had fared when it came to his writing skills. There is no doubt that he has a flair of it as was evident in "Kurup" & to be honest, he has done an even better job over here in the company of Jishnu Sreekumar. He has taken elements from Cyanide Mohan's modus operandi & added his own twist to it which has significantly elevated the thrill (the interval block to cite an example). At the same time, I felt the investigation aspect could have been more impactful as it didn't have the wow factor. But that doesnt imply that it bored me at any instance though some might feel a lag at certain junctures. Mujeeb Majeed was solid as his 'Nilaa Kaayum' had the perfect sinister effect while Faisal Ali did justice to the visuals.
The movie's USP is undoubtedly Mammookka's Stanley and he was excellent be it in terms of his slang, body language & expressions which varied from lovable to menacing. Even without the explicit scenes, the legend was still able to convey the emotions of the character. Vinayakan was impressive with his restraint performance which was quite unlike him and made the character believable. There was a huge line of female artists and they did whatever was possible within the limited screen space with Rejisha Vijayan, Gayathri Arun & Shruti Ramachandran doing their parts aptly.
Verdict: Mammookka continued to prove that he is not resting on his laurels but rather taking up characters that gives him scope to perform. Kudos to Jithin Jose for a praise worthy debut which is well supported by Vinayakan, Mujeeb & the female artists. Do check it out!!!
Rating: 3.5/5
Regards...Ben
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