Luca review: Tovino, Ahaana steal the show

“One does not need a partner on bed for 10 hours, rather one needs a partner who can sit and listen for at least 10 minutes,” is how Thalaivasal Vijay's character tries to convince his junior cop Akbar (played by Nithin George) with a troubled marital life. And while destiny has a different route for Akbar, he is somehow influenced or made to cross path with our hero Luca.

Akbar has a dejected past with his love life, but overcoming that he marries Fathima (Vinitha Koshy). With the past lingering on, Akbar finds it hard to cope up with his married life. And that's when he is asked to investigate a case associated with Luca (Tovino Thomas).

Luca is a popular scrap artiste and his artistic work brings him closer to his lady love Nihaarika Baneerjee (Ahaana Krishna). They fight at an art exhibition and get to know each other and later fall for each other. When Nihaarika learns that Luca is thanatophobic and necrophobic (fear of death and dead bodies), she tries to do everything to make him happy till the 'end'.

What strikes Akbar is Luca's positivity towards work and his life. And that's when he realises that his investigation has taken a U-turn.

The best thing about the movie is that art and certain props is given a life-like character. Be it the rains, the first drawing, the 'proposal' rose, the diary written by Nihaarika or even the cat at Akbar's house, it's through such things that the plot take shape.

Cheers to art director Anees Nadodi and costume designer Remya Suresh for making the movie colourful.

There is a freshness to the treatment and the visuals by Nimish Ravi and music by Sooraj S Kurup deserves special mention. The movie shines in parts but blurs on some occasions.

Before the release of the movie, debutant director Arun Bose had revealed that he had approached Tovino Thomas with this script sometime in 2014 and Luca has close similarity to Imtiaz Ali's 2014 movie Highway.

Tovino effortlessly steps into the shoes of the lovable superman and he might remind you of Dulquer Salmaan from Charlie. But that's another side of his to be explored. Ahaana Krishna looks pretty with cool outfits and Luca may mark her as her best so far. Debut actor Nithin George perfects his dialogue delivery and so does Vinitha Koshy with her naive and sober characterisation.

Though the climax brings in a link between two deaths, it asked for more.

There are certain moments that definitely lift the mood and Luca is heavily backed by art and creativity.