'Purusha Pretham' review: Predictable dark comedy thriller sans gripping tale
Aavasavyuham director Krishand has returned to entertain the audience with a new film, Purusha Pretham. This time, he has picked a dark comedy genre mixed with a thriller. The story also has an underlying issue that the Kerala Police often face. The movie, starring Prashant Alexander as Inspector Sebastian and Darshana Rajendran as Susan, was released on Friday on SonyLIV. Read our review.
Case of an unidentified dead body
"Supercop Sebastian," who is known for his bravery among his fellow policemen and neighbors, gets a new job when a dead body is seen floating in a river. With no identification on the body, the corpse is sent to a government mortuary. Trouble begins for Sebastian and his team when Susan comes to claim the body as that of her husband Bobby.
Krishand puts forward a pressing issue through his film
The filmmaker has created a movie that talks about a vital issue—the lack of burial space in Kerala, especially during floods. It shows how the police have a pile of unidentified bodies but not enough space to bury them. And when it's flood-stricken, the problem grows deeper. It also talks about how the police find it difficult to track the kin of unidentified corpses.
The comedy that is both - a hit and a miss
Krishand's Purusha Pretham is a dark comedy. It has been shot in a manner that many scenes will appear to have situational humor. While some are a hit (for instance: the jurisdiction fight shown between two police stations), others have fallen flat. Notably, the scene between Sebastian and Susan's lawyer about IPC sections will leave you in splits.
A stellar cast that has been wasted
The director got some of the best Malayalam actors on board. Alexander shines bright in the film but the other cast remains under his shadow. Jagdish as constable Dileep has delivered a fine performance, too. Unfortunately, it was disappointing to see Rajendran's limited role. She was portrayed as the female protagonist, playing a character that had layers to it but wasn't discovered well.
The storyline is not gripping enough
When watching a thriller, you expect the story to keep you hooked. However, Purusha Pretham is a predictable story from the very beginning. Not only can you guess its plot, but the writing isn't engaging enough which lets your mind stray on multiple occasions. There were also characters such as Sebatian's mother and Susan's brother Aby, that seemed like forced additions to the story.
It's not a miss if you skip it
Sebastian's flair for narrating his "super heroic" acts and the understanding-cum-freindship shown between Sebastian and Dileep as a senior and junior are worth a watch. But beyond that, the film falls flat, almost wanting you to hit the forward button. The Malayalam rap songs added in a few places are interesting, too. Purusha Pretham gets 2 out of 5 stars from us.
