113. Ayyappanum Koshiyum; movie review

AYYAPPANUM KOSHIYUM
Cert 12A
177 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, implied strong language

Just when it seemed as if Indian movies were coming down in size, I was confronted by a walloping three hours worth of Sachy's Ayyappanum Koshiyum.
I had been delighted to see that this Malayalam thriller was available on Amazon Prime but disappointed that its length diluted its impact.
Sachy's film pitches two anti-heroes - an upper-caste alcoholic (Prithviraj Sukumaran ) against a play-it-by-the book police officer (Biju Menon).
At least that is the way the pair are initially presented but changes in circumstances mean that both men move back and forth from their original stance.
Sachy's film throws up dozens of social dilemmas as it passes through different phases and twists.
Its bedrock is the question of how and why those with lofty connections can successfully throw their weight around when on the wrong side of the law.
Prithviraj's character Koshy is arrested in a dry-zone after he attacks police officers who stop his car.
He is taken to the local station where he records the senior officer (Menon) taking one of his seized bottles and giving him a drink from it to calm the situation.
The officer is unaware that he is being recorded and that the video will be used to end his career.
Thus,  an ever-heightening revenge story between the two men is precipitated with the audience challenged over whose side they are on.
And not until the very end will they know for sure.
This is a masterclass in acting with two heavyweights butting heads - I was particularly taken with Menon's character who feels compelled to throw away a rule book he has followed for 27 years but I wouldn't underestimate the impact of Prithviraj's.
The reverberations the feud has on both men, their home life and those immediately around them is unexpected.
It is a classic case of how a storm in a teacup can get violently out of hand.
It is deftly handled by Sachhy but I just wish it was 45 minutes shorter.


Reasons to watch: Intriguing thriller
Reasons to avoid: Way way way too long

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know?  The marketeers of Ayyappanum Koshiyum; have given its posters and dialogues a COVID-19 twist, by attaching a mask on Prithviraj's face and soap in Biju Menon's hands, and tweaking the dialogue to mean "Let this corona season pass, let's keep festivities aside till then".


The final word. Biju Menon: "The story of a tiny problem snowballing into a full-fledged ego tussle has been brilliantly presented in this movie. This is not the usual hero versus villain story. Both the leads have shades of grey. More than the screen space or the character’s heroism, what attracted me was the fact that the script gave me a chance to perform." The Hindu

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