Kunchacko Boban plays an IAS officer in the filmThe stand-out of Anil Radhakrishna Menon movies could be its carefully curated milieus. For the connoisseurs who love the cerebral film-maker's versatile flicks like North 24 Katham (2013) and Lord Livingstone (2105), here is Diwanjimoola Grand Prix from the same stable.
The film-maker, who, in his own terms, believes in 'talking less and working more' has deftly weaved in the trials and tribulations of a place in Thrissur called Diwanjimoola in the film.
The fast-paced flick banks strongly on the script which was penned jointly by the film-maker and Prasanth Nair, a civil servant and former collector who earned the sobriquet Collector Bro for his constant social media presence.
The film begins with Sajan Joseph (Kunchako Boban) taking charge as the collector of Thrissur. As the officer finds new and ingenuous ways to solve the problems of an issue-ridden Diwanjimoola, he finds a matching partner in ward councillor Effymol (Nyla Usha). The lead pair puts up a stellar performance and the carefully chosen cast, including Nedumudi Venu, Vinayakan, Asokan, Sudheer Karamana, Kanaaran Hareesh and newcomer Rahul, also live up to the expectation.
To accentuate the style quotient, the film-maker presents a collector who rides his Harley Davidson to office. The film culminates with a well-choreographed drag-race sequence. Though the narrative is fast, the cinematographer's frames are rather flat. There are no awe-inspiring angles or dominant and up-zoom sights to behold. The action-based humour sequences, thematically chipped off and brought in from the film-maker's previous flick Sapthamasree Thaskaraha, also induces a good laugh.
For a wrap, the film packs an oft-told tale in an intelligent format. One for the power of milieu story-telling.
Rating: 3/5
