Mammootty has played investigators numerous times, most performances good and some bad. George Martin, his character in Kannur Squad, belongs to the former. It’s impressive how, despite often donning the khaki previously, he endeavours to deliver a performance devoid of repetitiveness. His choices of emoting, particularly in the film’s third act, bolsters it to a large extent. The ardent Malayali film buff is aware of Mammootty’s capabilities, and his earlier, most notable performances become a yardstick for any new role evaluated for novelty. Kannur Squad is a testament to the fact that when given a decent (mostly) script and a well-written part, the man rocks!
Kannur Squad has more in common with H Vinoth’s Theeran Adhigaram Ondru than Rajeev Ravi’s Kuttavum Shikshayum—two films that saw South Indian police officers travelling to different states to capture a seemingly elusive criminal—in that it manages to find a neat balance between commercial and realistic cinema sensibilities. It delivers what some would’ve expected from Kuttavum Shikshayum— you know, to see characters deal with a potentially volatile situation and its aftermath in inventive ways.
By this, I’m not implying that Kuttavum Shikshayum was a bad film—it’s one of my favourites—but for those who expected to see an explosive confrontation sequence in it after all the build-up that showed promise of one, then Kannur Squad would satiate the appetite of anyone seeking thrills that emanate from getting trapped in hairy circumstances.
Some praise first, for the opening scenes, essentially a prologue functioning as a little movie in and of itself. The purpose? To establish the plainclothes team that is the Kannur Squad—its members, capabilities, why they are the last resort, what kind of cases they deal with, the risks they handle, and so on. This self-contained segment, with its propensity for springing little surprises along the way, also aims to establish the film’s overall tone. It’s the makers’ way of announcing, ‘Here’s a little taste of how the rest of the film would be. Are you ready for the ride?’
And it’s quite a ride: not entirely satisfying, but not a waste of time either. Kannur Squad works much better as a story of resilient police officers than an ‘action movie’.Of course, there is a fair amount of action in it—it wouldn’t be as interesting otherwise—but if you go in expecting novelty in the spectacle department, you are likely to feel a slight disappointment, as I did.
However, to give credit where it’s due, there are relatively striking set-pieces, especially a nighttime manhunt in Uttar Pradesh when the squad, comprising Mammootty, Rony David, Azees Nedumangad, and Shabareesh Varma are vastly outnumbered by the locals. How these cops get out of this situation—their attitude to it, to be more specific—is more interesting than the overall execution. Except for this particular portion, the fight scenes are nothing to write home about.
The same goes for the camaraderie between the characters, which, while not bad, isn’t anything extraordinary. Save for a couple of occasions towards the end, their interactions don’t radiate the necessary warmth.But it would be unfair to expect what we saw in, say, Operation Java, as there is a good reason for the slight distance we feel between these characters—a troubling plot development at a crucial juncture seriously affects their dynamic.
With this element and the immense departmental pressures borne by the team following a vicious crime, Kannur Squad does a reasonably good job of juggling its internal and external conflicts.It’s when the intensity reaches its zenith the film fares the best. It’s in these portions that Mammootty reminds us why Mammootty is... Mammootty! He demonstrates some of his finest work here, particularly in an instance where his character’s frustration and disappointment become thrillingly palpable.
Now add the natural confusion engendered by being in strangely unfamiliar territory and the energy expended for travelling long distances in an SUV in uncomfortably warm conditions, residing at dingy motels, and misleading criminals and their allies.
The actors, some of whom play characters dealing with the pressures of the cases aside from their personal struggles, sell their emotions convincingly. The same goes for the bad guys (one of them played by a supremely talented Mumbai-based Malayali actor).And then there is Tamil actor Kishore (Kantara, The Family Man) in a sufficiently solid part as Mammootty’s well-intentioned superior who has his own reasons for getting agitated.
The most stimulating aspect of the script is how it explores the manner in which these characters, especially Mammootty’s George Martin, handle strong emotions—the way they handle triggers and when they use them to their advantage.This quality spawns some of the film’s applause-worthy ‘mass’ theatre moments. That’s what good writers do, no? They don’t need to give their characters sunglasses or make them walk in slo-mo to earn audiences’ applause.
An important line is uttered by one of the characters in the film as it inches towards the climax, on soldiers being led by a strong general and how that determines a mission’s success. When the camera focuses on Mammootty at the mention of ‘general’, one can’t help but nod approvingly at the choice.
Film: Kannur Squad
Director: Roby Varghese Raj
Cast: Mammootty, Rony David, Azees Nedumangad, Shabareesh Varma, Kishore
Rating: 3.5/5
