Pravinkoodu Shappu opens with a shot of a dead man hanging. This chilling scene is accompanied by the iconic song ‘Thumbi Vaa’, with ONV’s lines ‘Thumbi vaa thumba kudathin thunjathaayi unjaalidam’ matching starkly in contrast with the visuals of the dead body hanging. In another crucial scene, after a man commits murder by drowning someone, we see him casually humming the line ‘Ente balagopalane enna theppikkumpam padadi’. These two scenes give you a brief idea of how the film works—a thriller with bizarre dark humour peppered throughout. Set largely around a toddy shop and a suspicious death on its premises, the film has a solid premise and quirky characters. However, despite a lot working in its favour, the film somehow falls short of its potential.
On a rainy night, a group of men are busy drinking and playing cards in the aforementioned toddy shop when one of them is found hanging dead. The suspects include a former defence personnel, a school teacher, a local thug, and a physically disabled worker from the toddy shop. Basil Joseph plays the cop, tasked with the investigation. His character, SI Santhosh, relies more on brains than brawn to crack a case. He is supremely confident in his investigative skills and prefers scientific evidence over third-degree treatment. Though initially hesitant to take the case, he soon becomes desperate to solve it in order to overcome his childhood trauma.
Debutant Sreeraj Sreenivasan, who has also scripted the film, serves information on a need-to-know basis. While we get a good idea about Santhosh very early on, we only learn very little about the other characters at first glance. Kannan (Soubin Shahir) is first introduced as an ordinary worker in the toddy shop, who is among the many suspects. It is only later that we learn about his wife, his suspicious behaviours, his dynamics with the dead person, etc. Sunil (Chemban Vinod Jose), Merinda (Chandini Sreedharan), and Komban Babu (Shivajith) are the other main characters who co-inhabit this world. The writing constantly throws new info about them, keeping us guessing about their real nature. At the interval point, when Santhosh confidently claims to have solved the case by elaborating his findings, you’re left wondering where the film will be heading hereon. However, the second half fails to build on that momentum. The overdose of dark comedy also dampens the fun.
Murder mystery films usually pivot around the ‘who’, ‘why’, and ‘how’ aspects of the crime. But in Pravinkoodu Shappu, the focus is largely on finding who committed the crime. The ‘how’ angle is overlooked for most part of the narrative before two commoners crack it casually. While the staging of the crime and its execution have some ingenuity, the motive behind it is generic and fails to make an impact. The red herrings, supposed to keep us hooked, also don’t succeed much in piquing our curiosity.
Often criticised for being repetitive, Basil is in great form here. His Santhosh initially appears composed and calculated, but we gradually see his different shades getting exposed during the course of the investigation. Understanding the complexities of the character, Basil delivers a highly effective performance, while also retaining all his trademark touches. Soubin also plays his part superbly, internalising all the pain, humiliation, and insecurities of the character. Shivajith’s character in this film has the nickname Komban (tusker) and his fierce performance does total justice to it. Chandini Sreedharan, Chemban Vinod, and Niyas Aboobacker are also impressive with their earnest performances.
Shyju Khalid’s cinematography is easily among the standout features of Pravinkoodu Shappu. His mastery is particularly evident in how he seamlessly captures lengthy shots. Within the cramped spaces of the toddy shop, his camera moves around like a fly on the wall. A couple of bike sequences, especially the chase with a school bus, are also brilliantly shot. Vishnu Govind’s atmospheric sound design also plays a significant part in holding our interest in this world. Every time the scene shifts to the interiors of the toddy shop, we hear faint sounds of doves cooing, glasses clinking, or a boiling curry in the background. However, the music, supposed to aid in tension-building, is placed extremely loud. It seems like an intentional choice to fill the writing voids. The film’s non-linear narration also offers plenty of room for editor Shafique Mohamed Ali to play around with. While his hyper-stylised editing techniques are a treat to watch initially, especially his match cuts, it comes across as gimmicky after a point.
As a whole, Pravinkoodu Shappu is a fairly engaging film with ample thrills and some hilarious dark humour. But these elements don’t come together in the right proportions to create the rousing experience promised by the film.
Film: Pravinkoodu Shappu
Director: Sreeraj Sreenivasan
Cast: Basil Joseph, Soubin Shahir, Chandini Sreedharan, Chemban Vinod Jose
Rating 2.5/5