At the moment in Malayalam cinema, we have independent and experimental and new wave and creative films on one hand and masala entertainers and potboilers on the other. This film falls on neither, for it is a massively artistic venture by a team who previously gave us a film with similar undertones.
Biju (Pauly) is a smart, suave, learned, fit, righteous, and almost self-righteous human being with a paunch who shoved his bunch of educational degrees aside and signed up to become a policeman, now with a glamorous work history of five years. So when people come to him with problems aplenty, he turns his station into a court of sorts and begins his people-friendly (jana-mythiri?!) policing and somehow manages to settle those problems. Always. Whether by his severe bashing-up routine or by shaping his piercing mustache's burns so that the man in front of him pees without even opening his fly - Biju settles the case. That is the fictional tale of a policeman's work - and what the film is all about.
If you were to go to the Muvattupuzha police station and have a sneak peek, you wouldn't find Biju, nor would you find him or any policeman like him in Kadavanthara police station. Maybe in Angamaly? Nah. Why? Because what the makers have created here is a fictitious depiction of an ideal policeman, of course, with respect to the current times which are hard and harrowed. So while one cannot call the film a 'true case,' it definitely is entertaining if not believable.
Biju handles all sorts of cases: from drug busts to catching 'freaks' (or 'freakers') with afros and fade-in hairstyles, theft cases, family issues, and awkward love stories to name a few, which are all, unfortunately, the current topics doing the rounds in our police stations. The social touch given by the makers is absolutely relevant and true to the effect that we need policemen like Biju.
Nivin Pauly is, without a doubt, brilliant. Just brilliant in his portrayal of this suave and sharp cop who doesn't open his hands bare to be greased by henpecked ministers or those powerhouses that we see in other movies. He knows to smash words up their noses and still have no fear of suspension or transfer, because, did you forget, this is fiction! Venjaramoodu is good, but I won't call his portrayal great because it's his sympathy-attracting character that rolls the dice. We all know he is a good actor unless he starts blabbering 'valippu!'
I am straining on the film being a fiction not because other similar films aren't, but because the gist of the film lies in this fictionalization of a real-life character who we all see and sometimes (often due to bad things) encounter. As a result, it definitely has its flaws, but the clever elements employed in showcasing policemen at work without involving bureaucracy is the mastery the film reflects. However, people shouldn't believe everything that they see, and with this film, this warning becomes bolder. You will still be going through a plight and the worse days of your life if you are caught with a drug smuggler.
Well-directed and aptly shot sequences takes the audience on a field trip to not the life exactly, but the profession of a cop. The intricacies are shown to some extent and it causes joy. A newbie is cast as Biju's fiancée because all she does is talk to him on the phone in a montage that is more music than audio. But I won't blame anyone here, because if you observe the films coming out lately (since 2013), every other one has a new face for an actress. It's because films nowadays are filled with testosterone and mostly narrate stories centred on a male protagonist. Actresses are even behind supporting actors, only put there to satiate the male gaze or to add a romantic tone to the film. People may not even go to the cinemas if the film doesn't have an actress. Who's to blame? In this film's case, had there been no actress, I am pretty sure it wouldn't have done commercially as well as it is doing now or will do. Critics may take a note and appreciate it even, but the mass of people want the action hero to romance someone, and it cannot be a bark of a tree, now can it?
Coming back to the film, the background score is the best thing about the film. Reminding me of Hollywood crime dramas like Sicario (2015) and True Detective (TV; 2014), the score consisting of drums and bass amazingly drives the story forward like it is the fuel. And this score is played at the right junctures and adds considerably to the entertainment quotient. Rajesh Murugesan has never disappointed us, and in here, he proves his genius.
Overall, the film is a pure shine. Although it goes slightly off in the start of second half, there is not a single dull moment anywhere, not even during the songs. Shine really pulls off the story with great direction and clever attention to details.
BOTTOM LINE: Abrid Shine's Action Hero Biju is an artistic depiction of a fictional tale about an ideal policeman that is well-directed, well-written, and well-acted, proving once again that Nivin Pauly is the king of Malayalam cinema at the moment. Recommended!
GRADE: B-
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
