MUMBAI POLICE ("BOLD ONE!")

May 10, 2013

Cast: Prithviraj, Jayasurya, Rahman.

Director: Roshan Andrews.

Malayalam cinema rose to greatness mainly because of the bold themes that the filmmakers and actors were ready to experiment with. Mumbai Police comes right out of that stable!

ACP Antony Moses (Prithviraj) who is investigating the murder of his friend ACP Aryan John (Jayasurya) meets with an accident when he is on the brink of solving the case and he loses his memory. Now it’s upto Commissioner Farhan (Rahman) (the third one of the trio popularly called as Mumbai Police by the media) to help Moses recover his memory and solve the case.

Coming from Bobby and Sanjay we expect something different in the screenplay and Oh boy! You get just the same it’s a brilliantly crafted screenplay that teases you every now and then with the whodunit part and keeps you guessing till the very end. After a disappointing Casanova, Roshan Andrews bounces back to show his amazing directorial skills to make Mumbai Police very appealing; slick editing and wonderful cinematography add to it.

ASI Sudhakaran mouths Kerala Police oath by heart when the other officers in Moses’ team need a copy to read it from. Scenes like that and characters like that of Rakhi IPS could have been done away with as they serve no purpose to the plot in any manner. Apart from these minor glitches a few minutes in the middle where the “Mumbai Police” camaraderie is shown might look a bit too long but it may be argued that it is required to establish the core of the plot.

Barring these very few shortcomings it’s precise articulate storytelling and those who love investigation stories are gonna have one helluva time! The way Antony Moses B (as he is called by the doctor after the accident) breaks down the case diary of Antony Moses A is written and executed flawlessly; thanks to the brilliant writing, wonderful performances and top class direction.

When Rahman and Jayasurya do their part perfectly well, Prithviraj simply excels as the mean cold blooded Antony Moses A and the conscientious ethical Antony Moses B.

Kudos; to Roshan Andrews for staying faithful to the script(not even including one song in the film), to Bobby and Sanjay for a brilliant product and finally Prithviraj for taking on such a bold role.

Iam giving a 3.5/5 for Mumbai Police. This is one of the best films that have come out recently and it’s a pretty bold one too. Go for it!

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2    to 2.25                   -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

                                 

3    to 3.25                   -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4    to 4.25                   -           Great.

4.5 and above               -          Extraordinary.