Ela Veezha Poonchira review: Soubin Shahir’s slow-burn mystery drama picks up pace at the right time
Rating: 3.5/5 Suyog Zore
Soubin Shahir is one of those few incredibly versatile actors who has appeared in films of every genre, from comedy, action, thriller, suspense, to family drama, romance, romantic comedy. And in ‘Ela Veezha Poonchira’, he is seen exploring the genre of slow-burn mystery drama. Soubin Shahir is known to have a good sense of choosing the right script and ‘Ela Veezha Poonchira’ is one more addition to his impressive filmography. First and foremost, despite a slow start, this 2022’s mystery thriller helmed by debutant director Shashi Kabir and written by Nidhish G, Shaji Maarad is quite an engaging watch.
The plot centres around two policemen, Madhu (Soubin Shahir) and Sudhi (Sudhi Koppa), who work in a police station on a picturesque hilltop in Kerala’s Kottayam state. The hilltop is frequently struck by lightning, and these two policemen are specifically stationed here to prohibit people from visiting this hilltop. Both Madhu and Sudhi have nothing to do with their time because there is no mobile network on this mountaintop. And they appear to have formed a strong bond because they are only in one other’s company. The first 40-45 minutes are spent establishing both the individuals and the eerie atmosphere of this picturesque location. From the first frame, you can tell that something is wrong with Madhu, and he appears to be going through inner agony that he is hiding even from his colleague and buddy Sudhi.
The film begins with the introduction of Madhu’s character, who is returning from a town to the police station. The director cleverly uses this opening sequence to generate a sense of wonder and intrigue about Madhu, in which we, the audience, accompany him as he is silently returning from a town to his police station. We observe him traveling by bus and later by private automobile, but he avoids interacting with any of his co-passengers. Viewers can see he’s deep in thought, but we have no idea what’s going on in his head. The writers and director have shown a fascinating character with an intriguing transformation, which the actor pulls off well. They have intentionally used the first half to communicate this lead’s loneliness to the audience.
The writers and director smartly trick the viewers with the layered script and incredible use of this beautiful landscape. The tone of the first half trick the viewers into believing that this is yet another character drama but as the story moves into the second half, the script suddenly changes the tone into an eerie survival thriller. For some this slow pacing in the first half might create an issue, but if you are acquainted with this specific slow-burn mystery genre, then the film will keep you engrossed with it’s layered script, subtle nuanced performance of Soubin Shahir and incredibly smart use of the whole landscape.
Soubin is brilliant as a man who is going though some emotional turmoil. From the first frame he comes on the screen, he quickly grabs your attention and takes you on an emotional journey of his character’s transformation from a simple lonesome man to a man who is hiding an incredible wrath within himself.
Debutant filmmaker Shashi Kabir and writers deserve a lot of respect for not clinging to the conventional features of story-telling and instead taking some daring risks in the screenplay, which picks up the pace just at the right time. I was particularly impressed by the director’s ability to establish a tense mood in the second half and sustain it till the climax, despite the absence of traditional action and violent sequences, as well as some overly dramatic interactions between characters.
Overall, ‘Ela Veezha Poonchira’ is a daring slow-burn mystery drama that provides just the right amount of thrill and drama to the viewers, especially if you’re familiar with the genre.
Cast: Soubin Shahir, Sudhi Koppa, Jude Anthany Joseph
Writer: Nidhish G Shaji Maarad
Director: Shahi Kabir
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