'Grrr', featuring Kunchacko Boban and Suraj Venjaramoodu in the lead, is director Jay K's entry into the comic genre. The director, known for 'Ezra', brings together a unique combination of humans and a lion. While Malayalam cinema has experimented with dogs, pigeons and even elephants, a lion is a welcome change.
The movie's highlight is the unusual plot, which is based on some real-life incidents. Kunchacko is a young entrepreneur Rejimon, who is in love with a politician's daughter. One day, he enters a young lion's cave in an inebriated condition. The functioning of the entire zoo comes to a halt as a full-fledged rescue operation, involving its staff, police, and fire and rescue officers, unfolds on the premises. Jay K, who also helmed 'Savithri', a dark and powerful segment, in the anthology film 'Aanum Pennum', shows he is quite capable of handling comedy, though not as adeptly as his previous works. The film holds huge potential given the interesting storyline, yet the makers seem focused only on creating situations to generate comic effect and miss out on factors that could make the film more relatable to the audience.
Darshan, an eight-year-old lion, is truly majestic on screen. It's remarkable how the makers decided to shoot a real lion for the film instead of resorting to the VFX. But the limitations that come with it are obvious in the film.
Suraj Venjaramoodu, as the zoo employee facing suspension because two guards were caught stealing from the lion's ration of red meat, is entertaining as usual and reminds us of the slapstick characters he played onscreen in the early 2000s. Kunchacko Boban gets to show off his boyish charm in the film, and he effectively plays a drunkard in the film. The love track blends well with the movie, though the climax remains flat.
The music and background by Dawn Vincent is the backbone of the film and the song 'Dhurithame Pranayam' deserves mention for capturing the mood of the movie well. Overall, the film is a good watch for those hoping to get a reprieve from the usual genres that flood Malayalam cinema.