Officer On Duty movie review: An intense Kunchacko Boban powers this gripping thriller, arrested only by its commercial trappings

3.5/5

Officer On Duty story: A day after resuming duty, circle inspector Harishankar, driven by anger and bitterness for being demoted, takes on a counterfeit jewellery case. His investigation and blunt attitude lead to a death that also triggers his own past trauma. Amid the calls for punishment, Harishankar takes it upon himself to find the gang that seem to be targeting teenage girls, while battling his inner demons.

Officer On Duty review: Police investigation thrillers are no longer movies that have larger-than-life heroes going up against all odds and coming out unfazed, especially in Malayalam cinema. Scriptwriter Shahi Kabir and producer-director Martin Prakkat have had a huge role in this in recent times, with films such as Nayattu, Joseph, Iratta and Ela Veezha Poonchira setting high standards. So, when the duo teamed up for debutant director Jithu Ashraf’s police thriller, with Kunchacko Boban in the lead, the expectations were naturally high – and Officer On Duty delivers on that promise.

Also read: Kunchacko Boban’s Officer On Duty is pacier and heroic than Joseph: Shahi Kabir | Exclusive 

While most of the films mentioned took their sweet time to set up the premise and characters, Jithu’s thriller does the exact opposite. There’s probably not been any movie in recent times where the first half of the film was as gripping as Officer On Duty. Right from demoted circle inspector Harishankar’s (Kunchacko) introduction, the film takes flight, jumping from one event to another. And that it stays true to the character of its protagonist, an enraged cop who is still licking the wounds of his fall from grace, adds further intrigue. Kunchacko rings up the intensity in these sequences to showcase a side that we have only seen glimpses of, in movies like Vettah and Bougainvillea. All of this succeeds in keeping the viewer on pins and needles.

Also read: Officer on Duty actor Jagadish on Kunchacko Boban, the villainous role in Marco and more | Exclusive  

You almost think how long can the team sustain this pace and to the credit of scriptwriter Shahi and Jithu, they do it well into the second half – even while taking the audience to the past traumatic events that Harishankar had to endure and connecting those to the current investigation, which revolves around a drug-fuelled gang targeting teenage girls and seeking revenge for their dead friend.

It’s in the second half, which is also packed with some thumping action sequences – especially the one in a mortuary, it slowly becomes evident why the first half was as gripping as it was. And this harks back to Shahi’s previous scripts too, which explored the psyche of the police protagonist. Kunchacko’s Harishankar is unlike any of the cop characters he has played; he is deeply flawed, despised by his wife, feared by his colleagues and hated by the public for his recent actions. And yet the character and events are so well-written that the makers are able to gain empathy for him.

Also read: Officer On Duty on OTT: Where to watch Kunchacko Boban, Priya Mani’s gripping thriller after its theatrical run

But his shot at redemption comes at the cost of the movie taking a slightly pulpy turn that makes the rest of the movie somewhat predictable. The makers take the spotlight away from the inner conflicts of Harishankar and put it on the gang of drug-peddling villains. This does help make a case for their revenge, but once that’s done, the film just relies on the action sequences to work. The thrill tapers, even as Jakes Bejoy brings his A-game with the music for Officer On Duty.

Vishak Nair is a standout in the film as Christy, the violent and calculating leader of the gang. There’s a maniacal streak that the character needed, and Vishak hits the right note. Ramzan Muhammed, Jagadish and Priya Mani do justice to their limited but impactful characters, which add further dimensions to Harishankar’s personal and professional journey.

Chamman Chakko’s editing in the first half is crisp, and the frames of cinematographer Roby Varghese Raj, who had incidentally helmed another classy cop movie – Kannur Squad, are striking, literally, in the action scenes. The film also has sequences of drug use and suicide, which might be disturbing for a few.

Officer On Duty verdict: Kunchacko Boban drives this pulsating investigative thriller about a cop battling his personal demons. It boasts a different side of the actor, and often that’s enough. But you would wonder, what if the makers could have sustained that pace and depth in the latter half too?