Film: Lakshyam
Genre: Thriller
Director: Anzar Khan
Cast: Indrajith, Biju Menon, Sshivada
Anzar Khan’s debut movie Lakshyam hinges on a very unexpected suspense element.Other than that, the movie, scripted by Jeethu Joseph, the man of thrillers, is a pretty plain ride,albeit enjoyable. While the crux of the movie - convicts on the run- is as old as cinema itself, Jeethu Joseph’s adept writing skill and some great camera work make it a pleasurable watch.
For those who have already watched the trailers, Lakshyam begins on a predictable note. A police vehicle carrying two convicts from Peermade sub jail falls into a gorge. The convicts, Musthafa (Biju Menon) and Indrajith (Vimal), who are bound together by a handcuff take advantage of the new-found freedom and escape into the jungle. With a huge police posse behind them, the duo flees and learn more about each other in the process.
Lakshyam, coming from the Jeethu Joseph stable, bears his tag. There is a shocking twist, some great action and a non-linear narrative, but revealing the suspense element quite early in the story does douse the excitement to a great extent.
With the puzzle already solved, over an hour is spent waiting just for the finale. While this worked well for Drishyam, for Lakshyam we really wish Jeethu and Anzar would keep us a little more on the edge of the seat.
However, its making deserves applause. Though quite conventional, the movie stays on its track and despite being devoid of any sub-plots, it doesn’t lose the pace, at least in the first half.
Besides Jeethu Joseph and Anzar, there is someone who has contributed much to Lakshyam. Cinematographer Sinu Sidharth does manage to capture the wilderness of the deep forests of Athirapally and Chathurangapara. Through some breath-taking visuals, the cinematographer adds to the pace of
story-telling, thereby creating the right mood for the audience to indulge in the thriller. He also deserves a mention for his finesse in handling the action sequences at the climax.
As for the cast, Biju Menon kinds of owns Lakshyam with his comic one-liners and spontaneous dialogue delivery. While the script requires Indrajith to look sombre and rigid throughout the movie, he manages to shine in the flashback sequences.However, Sshivada, who plays Indrajith’s lover in the movie, has nothing much to do.If you keep aside your ‘Drishyam-sized’expectations, Anzar Khan’s Lakshyam is an enjoyable watch. It won’t disappoint an average movie-goer.