Syam Sasi's 'Vela', featuring Shane Nigam and Sunny Wayne, is a police drama that unfolds within the limits of a police station. Shane plays Ullas, a civil police officer stationed at the control room where he spends his time attending to calls, both fake and genuine.
The story takes a sharp turn when Ullas receives a call from a distressed father reporting a drug incident involving his underage son. Ullas promptly alerts Mallikarjun (played by Sunny Wayne), the police officer on duty, who embarks on an investigation. However, the plot takes another turn as the minor goes missing, leading Ullas to suspect Mallikarjun's involvement, as he has ties with the drug mafia.
'Vela' delves into the mystery of the missing boy case by placing two policemen with contrasting ethics at the heart of the drama. Syam Sasi and his team skillfully navigates through various plot twists and turns, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats while exposing the corruption within the police department.
Police dramas seem to be the flavour of the season and 'Vela', just like 'Garudan' and 'Kannur Squad', doesn't stick to a cliché plot. Rather, it explores new ground making it unpredictable. However, unlike the two releases, 'Vela' doesn't attempt to be stylish and is rather too dependent on the plot, which affects the narrative at places. The second half of the film, despite the layered writing, struggles to stay focused, as the makers attempt to connect all the dots. The romantic track between Ullas and his lady love Smitha doesn't really fit in the narrative, especially since the makers don't explore their relationship in detail.
Shane Nigam, last seen in the blockbuster 'RDX', convincingly portrays Ullas. His layered acting drives the film. Sunny Wayne, who played a cameo in 'Garudan' also puts up a good performance as the unethical police officer in 'Vela'. Sidharth Bharathan has also done justice to his role. The music and background score by Sam C S elevate the movie.