BOTTOM LINE
Pacy Thriller Leads to Nowhere
PLATFORM
ZEE5
RUNTIME
6 Episodes, 1h 55Minutes
What Is the Film About?
Samuel Umman, a businessman involved in real estate, is killed in a road accident. Antonio George, entrusted with the case, smells something fishy. An investigation into Samuel’s life leads him to a confidante, Francis. He unearths an alleged loan scam in connection with a local cooperative bank. A thug Shaji, Samuel’s own son Ebin, and a few bank employees are also under the scanner.
Performances
It’s Sudev Nair and Arun Sol, who enjoy bulk of the screen-time in the show. Sudev’s past appearances in both positive/negative roles work in favour of his casting, though Arun gets better scope to deliver a portrayal with space for histrionic talents. Akhil Kavalayoor, Ajay Vasudev, and Kalfan have one-note roles, and they deliver okayish performances. The women hardly have any prominence and get to make much impact.
Analysis
Malayalam industry continues to produce thrillers like its writers eat them for dinner every day. While a first-time viewer is likely to be fascinated, the exhaustion from the genre’s overkill limits any possible joys that the stories could offer. ZEE5’s first-ever Malayalam show, Kammattam, helmed by Shan Thulasidharan, is a tale of white collar crime, dressed as an investigative thriller.
The modus operandi of the show suggests its loyalty to the genre, offering little beyond the obvious. After a death at a road mishap; a cop tries to dig deeper into the victim’s life, suspects foul play, gathers evidence, puts together suspects, connects the dots and finishes the job. The officer remains a symbol of integrity and righteousness, means business and talks little else apart from the line of duty.
It binds itself too strictly by the grammar of a thriller, and the show provides no room to build an ambience or any intriguing characters. It’s only the complex nature of the crime that keeps you invested; the detailing is specific and unpacks many layers beneath it. Even otherwise, the scope for surprises or twists is limited. The screenplay prides itself on being racy, giving you little time to think.
In a nutshell, the show reveals the rot within the system and the family – manipulative real estate brokers, corrupt bank employees, opportunistic children, and how need gradually makes way for greed. Most of its characters feel like mechanical devices in the story deputed for a purpose – their scope is precise, the casting is apt, but all of them feel dispensable sans any unique quirks, identities.
The storytelling lacks craftiness – the police catches hold of a suspect, gets them to reveal a crucial detail, they bluff initially, but eventually tell what’s needed. There’s no struggle for the cop to find out anything about the case; everything is handed over to them on a platter – CCTV footage, paperwork, and the past of the suspects. How does the thriller distinguish itself, really? There’s no answer at all.
A show like Kammattam gets made because the creators/OTT platforms presume it sells, is easily consumable, gets wrapped in a short duration under a tight budget, has a limited duration, and it’s quite likely that the viewer would stay with it till the end. Agreed, it is feasible, yes, but the ‘corporatisation’ of genre reduces the story to a mere quick-fix product.
Kammattam is in a rush to reach the destination and cares little for the journey. Beyond its impressive core idea, succinct narration, it would’ve made sense for it to flesh out its world well for a better impact.
Music and Other Departments?
The background score, by 4 Musics, is hardly memorable. If there’s anything that stands out on the technical front, it’s the cinematography (by Prakash Velayudhan), who infuses some life into the atmosphere with his flair for visuals. The script is okay, but the execution has a mechanical quality to it. The tight narration doesn’t help the show and makes one feel as if everything’s autopilot-ed.
Highlights?
Good premise
Not-so-bad performances
Decent cinematography
Drawbacks?
Lacks any momentum in storytelling
No standout factor in terms of craft
Loses connect due to the rushed narration
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
Only if you can’t do without watching a thriller every weekend
Kammattam Review OTT Web Series Review by M9
