Elaveezhapoonchira

Story: A policeman in the difficult terrain of Ilaveezhapoonchira is under suspicion of having committed a murder

Review: Ilaveezhapoonchira is a beautiful hill station in Kottayam district, but the policemen stationed here work in harsh weather, where rain and thunderstorms are frequent and even lightning deaths are not uncommon. Three policemen, Madhu, Sudhi, and Prabhu aka Venghayam (Soubin, Sudhi Kopa and Jude Anthany Joseph) take turns at the station, and their duty mainly involves turning away tourists - who sometimes taunt the cops - from the point of danger.

One day, there is news of a woman’s amputated hand found in a nearby area, with other body parts in different spots. The investigation moves ahead and Madhu is under the scanner. Is he the culprit, and why the police are suspicious of him makes the rest of the story.

While this is a beautiful locale, known for trekking and off-road driving, cameraman Manesh Madhavan hasn’t managed to capture the appeal. Director Shahi Kabir, himself a cop in real life and whose earlier writing credits include Joseph and Nayattu, wraps up the movie in 106 minutes. That is one of the few things that works for the film; no unnecessary flashbacks and no songs. A simple story, narrated with no frills.

The first half of the movie focuses on the beautiful locale and the cops and some tourists, and we don’t know where the story is going. The story only gets moving in the second half, but by the time you get hooked, the movie ends. A weak story and pale narrative sinks the efforts of the lead actors and the director. The characters and performances of Soubin and Sudhi are the only saving grace of the movie.

On the whole, the thriller fails to create an impact. If you are a die-hard fan of thriller movies and a Soubin fan then you can watch it, otherwise give this a miss.
V Vinod Nair