Theerppu review: Serious drama trivialised by confused mix of theatrics

'Theerppu' directed by Ratheesh Ambatu and starring Prithviraj in the lead is a revenge drama burnished with vignettes of Kerala's medieval history. Scripted by Murali Gopi, the story of judgement delves into the past of three childhood friends Abdullah Marakkar (Prithviraj) Ram Kumar Nair (Vijay Babu) and Parameshwaran Potty (Saiju Kurup).

They are not directly involved in the vices responsible for the present state of affairs. It's the act of treachery committed by Ram Kumar's father (Srikant Murali) against Basheer Marakkar (Siddique). Abdullah’s ire is directed against Ram Kumar, who continues to hold the legacy of his obnoxious past.

The movie opens with Abdullah coming out of a bar. He meets 'old' friend Parameshwaran, who is taken aback when he finds Abdullah in shambles due to personal setbacks. Parameshwaran and his wife Prabha Nair (Hannah Reji Koshy) are on their way to meet Ram Kumar Nair to seek funding for their fledgling business.

The glimpses of their past begin to unfold after Prabha smells something fishy in the interaction between the two friends. She is curious to know more. The rest of the tale is unveiled in bits and pieces eventually after Parameshwaran and Prabha meet Rama Kumar and his wife Mythily (Isha Talwar) at their super fabulous resort Accadio Saket.

Though Ram Kumar's womanising nature irks Parameshwaran to the core, he keeps mum as they are there to seek the former's help in funding their fledgling business.

What happens then forms the crux of the story. The visuals are extremely appealing and aesthetically rich, thanks to cinematographer Sunil K S.

But the drama gathers no steam as it pans out. The past offers a serious and poignant view of things. In stark contrast, the present is a mismatch basking in triviality. Political overstatements and dialogues with deep intellect did not add any value to the reels.

Siddique is magnificent as Basheer Marakkar. Prithviraj embodies oodles of charm and flamboyance but does not lend depth to the character he carries.

Saiju Kurup depicts with finesse the tomfoolery of his character. Vijay Babu too tries his best to create the tension stemming from the vices of an avaricious villain.

The script is shallow and the historical allusions, stellar star cast and grandiose treatment go wasted, leaving nothing much to take home.