Consistency is the key, they say, but Jayalal Divakaran’s Kurukkan falters on this front, be it in its tone or performances. Before it all comes together for a hilarious climax, I’m afraid it’s rather too late. The title Kurukkan translates to the fox in English. Here, the narrative pivots around three foxy characters—Krishnan (Sreenivasan), a wily old man who makes a living by giving false testimonies in high-profile cases; CI Dinesh (Vineeth Sreenivasan), a publicity-craving cop, and Hari (Shine Tom Chacko), an ambitious techie. Their paths cross during the murder investigation of a popular social media influencer. The film is about how these kurukkans try to outsmart each other by devious means.
Kurukkan opens with a murder trial, that establishes Krishnan’s shrewdness. Sreenivasan, coming back after a health scare, gets a tailor-made role with ample space to showcase his trademark wits and quirks. Right from the initial courtroom scene, the makers employ a humorous treatment throughout and never intend for a realistic and authentic portrayal.
It’s continued in the murder investigation as well, where even standard procedures aren’t followed; not to mention the logical loopholes. Towards the end, though it kind of makes sense why these portions were treated sloppily, it gets a bit too tedious by then.
A fraud disguised as a teacher in Thanneer Mathan Dinangal, an evil, self-centred advocate in Mukundan Unni Associates (MUA), a bankrupt gold smuggler in Thankam, and now, a scheming police officer in Kurukkan. Lately, Vineeth Sreenivasan, the actor, has been showing an increasing affinity towards grey-shaded roles.
After nailing the subtle act in MUA and Thankam, Kurukkan demands him to deliver an exaggerated performance. While there are some portions where he tries too hard to pull off the over-the-top act, he excels in the all-important climax sequence that helps to breathe some life into the dying film. It’s also ironic that Vineeth’s eccentric act comes in front of Shine Tom Chacko, an actor known for acing such roles—a strange role reversal. Shine is also robbed of an opportunity to display his impeccable acting chops as his character is reduced to a typical hoodie-clad cyber expert. What promised to be an intriguing character study of three like-minded men ends up as a lacklustre crime-comedy... with only a handful of comedies worth remembering.
Film: Kurukkan Cast: Vineeth Sreenivasan, Shine Tom Chacko, Sreenivasan Director: Jayalal Divakaran
