Officer On Duty review: Kunchako Boban's superb performance enhances this engrossing investigative thriller
The majority of investigative thriller films follow the same formulaic genre tropes: a tough, and problematic police officer who is going through some mental trauma and doesn't mind not following orders of his seniors, a straightforward investigation case that slowly turns into something even more vicious and cruel; ongoing obstacles put in his way by his police department for defying superiors; and his emotional turmoil that could cause him to make some risky mistakes during this investigation when he is running out of time to stop another vicious crime. To be honest, 'Officer On Duty' fits all of these clichés.
But dspite following all of the classic tropes of an investigative thriller, 'Officer On Duty' keeps you fascinated from start till the climax thanks to screenwriter Shahi Kabeer's gripping screenplay that keeps you on the edge of your seats and brilliant direction by debutant filmmaker Jithu Asharef. It's quite obvious within first 15 minutes of its 135 minutes runtime, that both writer (Shahi Kabir) and director are not trying to come up with something unique and offer their audiences an inspired departure from the general trope of 'investigative thriller' genre, but they still successfully manage to incorporate those tropes in such a way that we still keep engaged and remain anxious to find out how and what's going to happen next.
The film opens with a police officer Harishankar (Kunchacko Boban) arriving at his police station. He is a short tempered officer who doesn't even mind physically assaulting his senior. And that's why he has been demoted from his Deputy Superintendent of Police (DYSP) to Inspector Station House Officer (SHO) of the Aluva police station. The day he rejoines, bus conductor Chandrababu reports to the police station that his gold chain was replaced with fake gold. It appeared to be a straightforward case of discovering the thief of the original golden chain, but his investigation gradually transforms it into uncovering the truth about some carefully thought-out, gory crimes.
The more the plot of an investigative or mystery thriller film attempts to unravel in a realistic manner and adheres to the logical structure of investigation, the more captivating it becomes. And Officer On Duty's storyline attempts to follow these qualities of a movie thriller as it progresses, adding to the thrill and anxiety with each new revelation. Screenwriter and director do a fantastic job of treading the fine line between moving the narrative quickly while also allowing ample time to gradually establish why Harishankar is a grumpy police officer who is making a concerted effort to conceal his suffering behind his irritable demeanour.
His character's graph makes us feel a little more empathy for him. The adversaries, lead by Vishak Nair, are quirky and almost act like crazy psychopath serial killers. To be honest, I thought the film went a little too far in portraying them as criminals who are part of a larger, more dangerous group. However, when the narrative becomes the primary focus, everything falls into place.
It's also intriguing to me that, even though there are numerous chances to include action scenes, the movie primarily concentrates on advancing the plot quickly.There are couple of action scenes, both of which are skilfully choreographed. The ferocity & brutality in these two action scenes contributes to the thriller's increased intensity. A few chase scenes are also included, and they are also filmed realistically. The film's cinematography is also excellent, particularly as the plot develops and the tension builds with each new revelation.
Kunchacko Boban does an outstanding job portraying a grumpy police officer who is doing his best to conceal his misery beneath his grumpiness. As we can see from his character graph, the film also provides him with numerous opportunities to demonstrate his acting abilities. A couple of characters are underdeveloped and do not receive the screentime they deserve. Priyamani, who plays protagonist Harishankar's wife, is going through the same trauma as Harishankar, but we don't see her exhibiting it. A little more insight into her personality & her trauma would have been beneficial. Even bus conductor Chandrababu, who initially lodged the case of fraudulent gold, does not receive adequate screentime. However, despite their minimal screentime, all of the supporting actors performed admirably. Even those with minor but significant roles are as dependable as ever.
Overall, 'Officer On Duty' succeeds in accomplishing its goal of creating an immersive investigative thriller with a terrific performance by Kunchacko Boban that will have the audience riveted to their seats, particularly fans of the investigative thriller genre flicks.
Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Vishak Nair, Priyamani, Jagadish
Writer: Shahi Kabir
Director: Jithu Ashraf
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