Jacob Varghese is among the breed of filmmakers who does not make films just to appease his audience or producers. With just four films in his kitty, it is evident that he has a liking for realistic subjects. While Prithvi, starring Puneeth Rajkumar, was about an IAS officer, Chambal again revolves around an honest civil servant.
With heavy doses of the film seemingly inspired from the life of D K Ravi, an upright IAS officer who was found dead at his residence in 2015, Chambal does come out as a work that has taken liberty for cinematic purposes. The story is about Subhash (Sathish Ninasam), deputy commissioner of Kolar district, who cracks down on illegal encroachment and sand mining.
Pressure from politicians gets him transferred to Bengaluru, deputed as the commercial tax officer. Here, he exposes tax evasions by certain real estate firms close to various politicians and bureaucrats. He is later found dead and it is declared a suicide. The twist comes when the film gains pace with a murder angle, which eventually makes for an edge-of-the-seat thriller.
Jacob Verghese got a ready-made script based on DK Ravi, but his brilliance is reflected when he slowly builds the character, only to give it a new dimension with incredible swiftness. Without adding any colour to the story, he keeps the audience hooked with his content. If taken seriously by those who matter, then this IAS officer’s death will be a topic of discussion all over again. However, the film would have been more relevant had it released earlier.
Sathish Ninasam steals the show by perfectly getting into the skin of a truthful civil servant. Sonu Gowda, as the IAS officer’s wife has a small but significant role to play. Achyuth Kumar, Roger Narayan, Sardar Sathya, Pawan Kumar and Mahantesh, who have key roles, deliver impressive performances. With songs composed by Poornachandra Tejaswi, it is the background score by Sam and team that holds the film. Cameraman Shashikumar seems to have had little scope for creativity. A sincere honest film, Chambal is a good watch given the fact that it brings out a fact that we all seem to know but are afraid to believe.
Film: Chambal Director: Jacob Verghese Rating: 3.5 stars |