Killing Veerappan Review

RGV has a knack for playing it safe whenever he tells an ostensibly complex story, or better call it as theory.  ''Killing Veerappan'' is based on one of the theories in the public domain about the events connected to Operation Cocoon.  Since RGV announces at the outset that "this is the truth as I know it", one can''t quarrel with him for not being conclusively objective, for apparently he seems to say that he doesn''t or couldn''t have known THE truth.  It is all uncertain and just as the scene where Sjivarajkumar''s character says only Veerappan and God know the truth about whether the forest brigand deliberately killed his kid or it happened accidentally while escaping from the security forces.  And whatever may be the fact, the moral is that, as the cop on a mission to kill Veerappan says, Veerappan lost his kid because of the path he had chosen.

''Killing Veerappan'' is more about intensity than authenticity.  The focus is on the cop leading the operation and Shivarajkumar is every bit intense in his expression and every bit kosher in his demeanor.  Sandeep Bharadwaj''s metamorphosis into Veerappan is incredible, although some creative liberties might have been taken in projecting him more as a brigand on constant boil.

In a long time, the screenplay of an RGV movie is gripping, never mind the one-sidedness of the narration.  Seemingly trivial moments reveal the indomitable leadership of the cop who led Operation Cocoon.  When a glum member of his team expresses worry over his personal problems, Shivarajkumar responds with a tight slap, saying he can''t expect sympathy from him.

Projection of Veerappan as the one-man army is achieved in so short a screen time that one is confused whether this was possible because of the personality of Veerappan that we know of or because of RGV''s suspected story-telling efficiency.  Since a large number of cine-going community today among youngsters may not have read much about Veerappan''s famed ruthlessness, some such credible scenes may actually end up not having much impact.

In any case, the film''s distinction lies in delineating scenes like the cop''s meticulous moves to make Veerappan fall into his trap.  The enlisting of Shreya (Parul Yadav) to befriend Muthulakshmi (the wife of Veerappan, played by Yagna Shetty) is one such scene.  Elements like the torture of the two aides of the brigand, the failed operations to nab Veerappan, the plot make Veerappan get the AK 47 rifles, etc are entertaining.

One is sucked into the narration and by the time Veerappan is fooled into falling the trap laid by Shivarajkumar, the audience starts to root for the cop.

It is Shivarajkumar''s film all the way.  He looks every bit the ruthless cop he plays.  Measured and natural in his act, he is equally convincing whether he is the unsophisticated cook or the suave cop.  Sandeep, Parul and Yagna fit the bill.  The reportedly complex relationship between Veerappan and his wife - it is said that Veerappan suspected his wife to be having an affair and was once intercepted as saying that he might have her killed - could have been used. The actor who plays Kumar, the ex-cop who disguises himself as an arms kingpin''s man, is another example of deft handling of the screenplay.

A voiceover could have been used to talk about counter-narratives after the film''s end, just to put things in perspective.

The BGM is not up to the mark and the tikkum-tikkum is not going to tick.  The cinematography is first-rate.

Verdict: This film is easily one of RGV''s most grippingly told stories in a long, long time.

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