‘Officer on Obligation’ film overview: Shahi Kabir conjures up yet one more gripping police story

Kunchacko Boban in ‘Officer on Obligation’

Until a couple of years in the past, one actually needed to wrestle to select a flaw, private or skilled, within the cops in Malayalam cinema. Proper now, it could be laborious to seek out an on-screen police officer with out some baggage from the previous, which will get virtually as a lot focus because the investigation that the officer is pursuing. The image isn’t any totally different in Jithu Ashraf’s debut movie Officer On Obligation, however for a change, circle inspector Harishankar (Kunchacko Boban)‘s troubled historical past doesn’t appear pressured however one thing which organically gels in with the remainder of the plot.

The person comes throughout as borderline repulsive in his introduction scene, barking at his subordinates and violently attacking ladies suspects, a lot in order that we’re extra intrigued by the officer’s behaviour and are inquisitive about his previous than the minor crime concerning a faux gold chain that he’s after. The screenplay works its magic in upsetting our preliminary assumptions, concerning each the protagonist and the case that he’s pursuing.

In penning yet one more police story, after Joseph and Nayattu in addition to his directorial debut Ela Veezha Poonchira, screenwriter Shahi Kabir once more brings into play his personal insights as a former police officer to the way in which the drive capabilities. Though, in the case of how the criminals assume, his understanding seems to be of restricted dimensions with the drug peddler gang of perpetually snarling villains within the movie getting painted in a single shade with none nuance.

Identical to it was evident within the in any other case commendable Joseph, Shahi Kabir’s writing hits beneath the mark in the case of pinning a motive to the crime. Whereas there’s a very clear motive right here, Kabir brings in one other ugly incident involving a police officer to bolster the motive, in a approach partly justifying the acts of the prison gang. However, to have a look at it one other approach, that little twist within the story did add some weight to the drama, in hinting on the feelings driving the drug peddler gang.

The usage of violence suffered by ladies as one of many main drivers of the plot to supply some cathartic launch to the troubled hero is repeated in Officer on Obligation, however the clever approach during which the varied strands of the related incidents unravel someway papers over this. The stress is dialled up fairly a bit within the preliminary half, when the screenplay proceeds briskly from one incident to a different, revealing the connections between every and leaving us hardly any area to breathe.

The identical can’t be mentioned of the final hour of the movie, when the playing cards are all on the desk and the plot is sort of at a standstill. The movie at these factors chugs alongside totally on the power of its well-choreographed motion sequences and the cat and mouse sport that ensues. Kunchacko Boban will get a task with lots of scope to showcase his emotional vary, which he does fairly nicely, however Priyamani solely will get restricted scope to carry out.

With Officer On Obligation, Shahi Kabir conjures up yet one more gripping police story which works regardless of faltering at some factors.