Lokpal Malayalam Movie Review
Directed by Joshiy
Produced by Ruby Vijayan
S. L. Vimal Kumar
Written by S. N. Swamy
Produced by Ruby Vijayan
S. L. Vimal Kumar
Written by S. N. Swamy
Starring
Mohanlal as Nandagopal / Lokpal
Kavya Madhavan as Geetha
Meera Nandan as Jain
Thambi Ramaiah
Manoj K. Jayan
Shafna
Thalaivasal Vijay
Saikumar
Krishna Kumar
T. G. Ravi
Maniyanpilla Raju
Sivaji Guruvayoor
Shammy Thilakan
Pradeep
Music by Ratheesh Vegha
Cinematography Pradeep Nair
Editing by Syam Sasidharan
Studio Happy & Ruby Cinemas
Distributed by Aashirvad Release through Maaxlab
Release date(s)
January 31, 2013
Running time 140 min
Country India
Language Malayalam
Expectation
22 years after blockbuster 'Naduvazhikal the hit trio of Mohanlal-Joshiy-S.N.swami reunites in this film. The last film of Lal-Joshiy combo, Run Babby Run, was also a blockbuster. The different getups have raised expectations of fans sky high. But since the writer S.N.Swami was having a rough patch for the past few years the hype didn't go overboard.
Story
Lokpal is an Family-Crime-Drama-Thriller from Master writer of suspense S.N Swami
Nandagopal (Mohanlal) who runs a restaurant by day, is also an undercover social activist. He is a on a mission to fight and eliminate corruption from the state. The different methods, get ups, looks that Nandan portrays to get to his aim, his past, tiff with the Police etc forms the rest of the story.
The 2 heroines in the movie, Meera Nandan, plays an investigative Journalist & Kavya Madhavan, plays a Doctor.
Evaluation
Lokpal is yet another half-baked script by S.N.Swami, who is
just trying to survive in this industry some way somehow. For that he used and damaged the reputation of
the hit combo of Joshiy and Mohanlal.
The basic plot is inspired from Ramana, Anniyan, 4 the
people etc. All these films were huge hits in Kerala too, so while going with
such a story line the script should have been that much interesting,
entertaining, racy with full of twists and turns. Instead it turns out to be damp
squib. I have absolutely no Idea why either of Joshiy or Lal even agreed to do
this project (may be because it deals with a current, socially relevant topic,
just like Karmayodha).
First half of the movie was average, while the second half
was even worse coz nothing much was happening in the film. In the climax writer
added few twists and turns, but it was too late by then.
The film has just one song which is not even worthy of
mentioning, the BG/RR also offers nothing unique. Camera was good, especially
the overhead HELI shots of Kochi city, were Good and seen in a Mollywood film
for the first time I think.
Mohanlal looked uninterested and was sleep walking for most
of the parts. His role was horribly written and the 7 getups failed to evoke
any kind of response even from the fans (except the TTE getup).
Kavya Madhavan had a cameo length role and even In that
short period she managed to get some boos from crowd. Meera Nandan did an okay
job eventhough her role too was nothing to boast about.
Joshiy the director had a major role in making Run Babby Run
a blockbuster, but here even he too was helpless.
Sai Kumar got a villain role with difference and he did an
excellent job. Rest of the cast like T.G.Ravi, Krishna Kumar, Shammi Thilakan,
Thambi Ramaiah [Dubbed by Marimayam fame Manikandan Pattambi] was OK.
Being a Mohanlal fan the movie is colossal disappointment.
For others it may be average or below
Rating 2/5
Box Office – Flop
NB: still perplexed by the decision of makers to release the
film on a Thursday especially when a public holiday doesn’t fall on the first
2/3 days.