219. Kuttavum Sikshayum; movie review

 

KUTTAVUM SIKSHAYUM

Cert 15

135 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language

Few Indian movies will have been as thoughtful and detailed as Rajeev Ravi's police thriller Kuttavum Sikshayum.

This goes into the minutiae of a police operation to nail gold thieves who, it transpires, have come to the city of Kerala from an outlying village.

The film traces the early parts of the investigation and how false leads come and go before the technical ops team have a breakthrough.

Asif Ali plays the inspector who assembles a team to nail and arrest the thieves but their task is much more complicated than they would have expected.

The inspector has a back history of shooting dead and angry young protestors years earlier and this has haunted him, forcing him to turn to drink.

However, he remains respected and has the support of his senior officer as his officers endeavour to solve the jewel heist.

They narrow down their targets to a no-go village in Rajasthan which the police haven't entered for 11 years since a raid went horribly wrong.

The history does not deter Asif and his squad which includes an experienced head, played by Alencier Ley Lopez. 

The robbery and investigation are based on a true incident in 2015 but the drama has been spiced up.

Nevertheless, Ravi captures what it must be like to be part of an operation in which duty comes first and safety is secondary.

And it also gives the viewer a rare insight into what it must be like to police a country as huge as India.

Kuttavum Sikshayum attempts to send a message that there is nowhere to hide but I was left wondering whether that could possibly be true.

Either way, I was on the edge of my seat for the tense, crucial finale.

Reasons to watch: Very detailed thriller

Reasons to avoid: The plot moves very quickly

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? During 2021, 337 people were killed in Kerala as a result of brawls between alcoholics, political conflicts and murders in the midst of theft. 

The final word. Asif Ali: "Rajeev Ravi has made his mark in the world of Hindi cinema and can make any kind of films in Malayalam but he is only trying to make films that he wants to tell and that he likes to tell." Filmi Beat

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