Cops Chasing Cops!

Film: Nayyatu (The Hunt) 2020

Language: Malayalam

Director: Martin Prakkat

Streaming on Netflix

Cops chasing Cops.

The movie opens with a tug-of-war tournament, of which the result is not really relevant. However, I thought it might be a metaphor for the following story, but it seems irrelevant anyway. 

Three cops, Maniyan (Joju George)- the Senior among them & a loving father of his talented daughter, Praveen Michael (Kunchacko Boban)- rejoins the police force in a new station as a CPO & also, a son of deceased ex-Police officer & Sunitha (Nimisha Sajayan) existing CPO in the same station and related to Biju (Dineesh P) a constant trouble-maker belonging to a Political Dalit party.

As the movie progress, I felt an unwonted gaiety in the whole mood of the premise and the characters. However, the tiff between the Political party members & the lead cops at the police station, which is the apotheosis of the story, is where I was relieved to be prepared to witness a havoc it has evidently caused. The incident at the station also clearly (at least for me) reveals that Maniyan has been nursing an old grudge against Biju & his fellow members, and this seems to be the triggering point. One of the greatest scenes in Cinema.

Then follows the mayhem. A promisingly incredible concept with an absolutely unconventional twist (quite rare in our Cinema), so finely executed, that it deserves not only an appreciation but respect. Few characters, clear story threads, unassailable climax, an ambiguous ending and our sympathies are thoroughly justified, that’s what makes this movie so Great. 

Forasmuch as I love her immensely & find her above all in all her films, since the time I watched her performance in Chola(2019) I mention her first. Nimisha Sajayan is astoundingly remarkable, AGAIN. Though she speaks very less in the film but her silence shouts out loud through her most attractive almond gazing eyes & her outstanding talent of expressing the emotions.

Precisely, her stare during a song in the wedding is out of this World, it’s so enchanting.

Joju George is flawless as ever. He is so raw & subtle while acting that he makes it seem so very real & exclusive in every scene he appears- the chaos scene at the police station in the beginning is Top-Notch.  

This is the first Kunchacko Boban’s film I watched ever and I’m in absolute awe of his fabulous performance, ought to watch his other movies too. A scene where he requests his senior for a leave is extraordinary and of course he has his moments in the film.

Dineesh P who portrayed Biju is ingenious. It feels like he shone out of nowhere in the police station scene and slayed it.

I wouldn’t hesitate to mention that Martin Prakkat delivered an epitome of social thriller tragedy film, its so Brilliant. Which also mandatorily includes the writer Shahi Kabir, for the terrific development. The way Shyju Khalid captured Munnar is spectacular and certainly it adds enormous value to the visual story telling.

Highly Recommended, for Cinephiles.