'Second Show' (Malayalam)
Director: Srinath Rajendran
Cast: Dulquer Salman, Gauthami Nair
Remember the hype and hoopla that surrounded ‘Refugee’ in 2000? The movie’s primary claim for attention was that it marked the debut of star children - Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor. Similarly, since its announcement last year, ‘Second Show’ has been in the limelight as Dulquar Salman, the son of Big M - Mammootty - making his debut through the movie.
And Mollywood’s Sallu Bhai, though there are many areas to improve, has marked a promising start.
The major attraction of ‘Second Show’ is a freshness in the making, be it the non-linear mode of story telling, the background score by Rex Vijayan or the trio of Dulquar, Sunny Wain and Gauthami Nair who portray Lalu, Kurudi aka Nelson Mandela and Geethu respectively.
This novel touch is the USP of the film.
There are some similarities to RGV’s ‘Satya’ to the storyline. Debutant director Srinath Rajendran has not relied upon unnecessary build-ups to the hero and has tried to give a realistic touch to the scenes.
The introduction of Dulquar was so cool and unexpected, a clear indication that it will not end as an ordinary show. Talking about the storyline, it is not too refreshing a story. An unemployed youth, cliched portrait of his mother who always worries about her son, the grey shades of the slums, a drug lord and how the hero takes a second chance to end himself as a chotta don.
Yes, ‘Second Show’ too has all these elements which are the trademarks of the so-called gangster movies in Malayalam. Despite the use of so many hand-held shots which may irritate the viewers, the director has succeeded in telling the story in a different way and without it, the movie would have ended up a crapper.
Enjoyable as a one-time watch, ‘Second Show’ will be remembered for two reasons. Firstly, it is a pointer towards the changing face of Malayalam cinema with the new-age filmmakers willing to experiment.
The second factor is Dulquar, who proved that he has that ‘M factor of acting’ in his blood which will, in the long run, help him undertake heavy roles.