MALIK (2021)
Critic No. 223
Director: Mahesh Narayanan
Written by: Mahesh Narayanan
Produced by: Anto Joseph Film Company, Carnival Movie Network, AP International
Casts: Fahadh Faasil, Nimisha Sajayan, Joju George, Vinay Forrt, Sanal Aman
Language: Malayalam
Genre: Action, Drama
Music: Sushin Shyam
SYNOPSIS:
A past ridden with crime, death, and pain is recounted to Freddy (Sanal Aman), a juvenile criminal, who has been assigned to eliminate his estranged uncle Sulaiman (Fahadh Faasil), an aging patriarch, while behind bars.
REVIEW:
The film kicks off with a nerve-wracking intensity and you are thrown with many characters that are scrambling a chaotic situation. Packed with action, characters, and conflicts - in the family, community, and with politicians - the first scene might seem suffocating but despite the breathlessness, something will hook you to stay to witness the backstory of this powerful man, Sulaiman.
Traveling in a non-linear fashion, the film depicts how politicians manipulate the system and people to create projects that destroy communities and the land while swindling for their pockets. We are introduced to the backstory of Sulaiman while he gets arrested and we get to see how he intended to work for the neighbouring Muslim and Christian communities in his backward coastal area. While the locals look up to him as a leader, the bureaucracy is obliged to take action against his other illegal activities. And through this intense conflict, we see the political system ruthlessly putting Malik into a web of betrayal.
Mahesh takes the prospective storytelling route to convey the back story (with a mild Rashomon effect), that peels the layers of the complex character, Sulaiman. It is tough to shake off the Nayakan (1987) hangover, but even with the heavy influences of other mafia films, Malik has much to offer in terms of cultural ideologies and political ambitions. Most importantly, unlike other Mafia films, Malik keeps it rooted when comes to glorification and lets the actions of the character bring out the heroism.
Fahadh is magnificent as usual portraying various stages of his characters so convincingly. And The Great Indian Kitchen fame, Nimisha continues her great form and stands tall among the experienced cast ensemble. Other actors such as Vinay Forrt and Jalaja do impress with their strong characters while big actors such as Joju George and Salim Kumar look wasted with their brief, thin roles.
On the flip side, for a film that runs for 2 hours and 40 minutes, the narrative has very few conflicts and twists, traveling in a predictable route. I just felt the film could have been trimmed by at least 20 mins which might have moved a few segments of the film faster.
Technically, the film is quite sound. My favorite aspect was Sushin’s mesmerizing score that enhanced the tones and mood of the film so beautifully. There are also several nicely staged one takes that are tastefully executed by cinematographer Sanu Varghese. Watch out for the 4 minutes one-take sequence at the climax that rides high with emotional intensity with nail-biting action, that will surely race your heartbeat.
VERDICT:
‘Malik’ is a compelling multi-layered action drama that tells a rooted heroic story, enhanced beautifully by Fahadh Fazil’s captivating performance.
CELLULOID METER- 3.5/5:
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