Kunchacko Boban's Malayalam movie 'Officer on Duty' is now available on Netflix! Before the OTT release, I had watched the film in a nearby theatre. Now, you can watch this Kunchacko Boban thriller on Netflix.
Note: All images in this blog are sourced from Kunchacko Boban's verified Facebook page.
[READ: Watch Padmarajan's Movies]
Officer on Duty on Netflix: Director, Star Cast, Music
Directed by Jithu Ashraf, the leading stars are Kunchacko Boban and Priyamani, with a solid, heart wrenching performance by Jagdish and a stellar line-up of young talent. The 'negative' roles make a chilling impact in this thriller film. Jakes Bejoy's music is refreshing, different and I found myself liking the unique vibe.
Way back, in those days, 'Johny Walker' pushed the envelope on showing how drugs make an impact on the campus. The songs in the film were a huge hit, especially 'Shanthamee rathriyil' and had a distinct Western vibe to it.
Kunchacko Boban's portrayal of an angry cop, grief-stricken and prone to frequent panic attacks, is an emotional rollercoaster ride. His timing is near-perfect, the breakdowns are palpable and the story arc leaves you disturbed as it is chaotic.
As someone who has watched many movies of Malayalam cinema's most loved 'Chocolate Hero', there is no doubt that Kunchacko Boban is rewriting his starry sojourn to reinvent himself as an actor par excellence through films like 'Officer on Duty'. Even if you were to look for the tiniest 'Chocolate Hero' indications, you wouldn't be able to spot it - that's how deftly this fine actor has emerged into an 'Officer on Duty'.
Officer on Duty Malayalam movie: Priyamani wins hearts
The lovely Priyamani, in this subtle and powerful performance, adds quiet elegance and substance to this suspense-filled movie. Playing the role of a police officer's wife brings its own challenges. This is not because the role is rare but it is difficult to stand out as a striking one.
Consider all the most loved police-based films in Malayalam cinema - how many times do you recall the spouse of the police officer as a memorable character? In general, the spouse or girlfriend takes a backseat to the cop's story graph. In Kunchacko Boban's 'Officer on Duty', the unconventional approach of balancing the wife's perspective with subtle yet impactful performances required a powerhouse talent duo to pull it off - which is why Priyamani-Kunchacko Boban delivered it to perfection!
Officer on Duty witnesses young, highly talented actors showcase disturbing and spine-chilling 'drug' sequences. As a theme, drugs are not new to Malayalam cinema's exploration of the same in terms of the storyline. From perfection in his body language to the way he dresses and carries himself, Vishak Nair as Christy is brilliant.
"As they say in theater, wwhen you wear a mask, you cannot be 'Vishak' - we cannot wear our identity. Comedy and horror are the same - timing is key," Vishak Nair shares in this insightful interview.
He talks about the research he undertook to understand the mannerisms of a heavy drug user and how decoding the physicality of the character helps him understand the character better and grasp the identity, after which he focuses on the emotional plane.
Here is an actor to watch out for!
Through the young 'drug gang', the film demonstrates what this does to spur more crimes among the youth, destroying their lives altogether. In this film, the gang leader 'Christy' offers a glimpse of a young drug dealer who is ruthless, commands the loyalty of his 'tribe' and his fearless display lands him in deep trouble. It also shows where cops gamble into the risk factor by catching drug gangs to exploit the young girls. Through a terrible violent scene, this film unearths a deeply savage act of extreme violence and police exploitation of women who are a part of gangs.
Special note of appreciation for the brilliant young women artists who portrayed the negative roles in this film as part of the 'drug gang' headed by 'Christy'.
The flip side is that it makes a viewer believe that women are safer in such gangs than when they are caught by the police - and that doesn't feel too good, does it?Officer on Duty Malayalam movie: Best Scenes
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