I went to see #Neru the new #Mohanlal - #JeethuJoseph combine in theaters expecting another mystery thriller where the suspense keeps building up and it all unfurls at the end. What I did get and loved is a nicely done take on Drishyam in a blink-and-you-miss moment that you will surely love. In #Neru, there are no surprises - you know who the villain is in the first five minutes and yet my take is that both the #JeethuJoseph movies are similar - in Drishyam, you keep wondering how the murder would be covered up and in #Neru, you keep wondering how the Public Prosecutor will nail the criminal. Both are also underdog stories - one has a school dropout who is self-schooled on english films and the other is an advocate who has served a suspension and is rusty. Needless to say, both have a redemption story at the end. That said, #Neru is brilliant as Joseph keeps you hooked all through with a masterful treatment of the legal system, even as #Mohanlal delivers a subdued performance.
#Neru is as #Joseph calls it “an emotional courtroom drama”; the rape of a blind girl by an unknown person is the crime. The victim can “see through her hands” as she manages to produce a sculpture of her victim. The victim belongs to a rich and influential family who will stop at nothing to influence the outcome, and it takes the brilliance of an out-of-practice advocate to build a rock solid case.
As an avid follower of Malayalam cinema, I must make some comments in general though. #Siddique gets full marks for an amazing portrayal of the villainous advocate. I am quite in awe of how the veteran gets his roles perfectly crafted time and again. I also thought that they got the judge spot on with #MathewVarghese essaying a competent role. It is a pity to see #Jagadeesh tottering in slight roles that do not do full justice to his potential. #Mohanlal delivers a brilliant performance as the slightly tentative lawyer with a history with the opposing counsel played by #Priyamani ( the awkwardness in her character is deftly done). The Superstar gets the wolf whistles out when he lectures his opponent “Today’s women will not suffer injustice quietly and will not hesitate to tell things as they are”. I also thought #Neru rises above the script with its bold and mature treatment of the issue of consent in physical relationships. Sara (#AnaswaraRajan)’s naivete at the procedures of the legal system is nicely juxtaposed against the portrayal of a victim who is not just a helpless woman, Here we have a rape victim who is sensitive and emotionally hurt but is also intelligent and brave. In the final scene, she does away with the mask on her face and walks out to face the cameras. And in a superb doff of the hat to the braveheart, a reporter who dares to point his camera at her is frowned upon by his fellow colleagues.
#JeethuJoseph is clearly at the top of his craft here. The audience stays hooked all through the legal bandobast and jargon. There are of course the trademark red herrings with #Mohanlal’s girl friday Ahaana (#SanthiMayadevi) uncovering a lot of the footprints left by the villain and his friends. #VishnuShyam’s background score is actually brilliant given that this is a courtroom procedural and the music must not intrude into the narrative tension. Cinematographer #SatheeshKurup ensures the focus is on the drama with tight frames and closeups. #GaneshKumar and #DineshPrabhakar play support roles well. Producer #AntonyPerumbavoor makes his customary single frame appearance.
A comparison to #Drishyam is but natural. I must confess that I was a little underwhelmed with the ending . I had almost hoped that the sculpture done by Sara at the end would throw up a massive surprise but that was not to be. I think the focus was not on the rape crime at all and that is what made it different. I looked around at the audience around me and realized that they remained transfixed till the finish. They were not looking for the twist in the tale . All they wanted was to ensure that the culprit was punished adequately enough ! The claps and whistles at the end meant they got what they wanted !
