Coming from the director of 'Passenger', `Arjunan Saakshy' was a film that aroused the loudest expectations in recent times. But after watching the movie, it feels to have many shortcomings though there is interesting plot lines and some genuine moments.
'Arjunan Sakshi' opens with a letter to the editor of the Mathrubhumi daily from one person named as Arjunan, who claims to be the witness to the murder of Feroz Mooppan (Mukesh), who was a dashing, unyielding Cochin Collector. Anjali Menon (Ann Augustine), the journalist at Mathrubhumi, who finds its interesting goes on to publish the letter to land herself in big trouble, as threatening calls follows her to reveal Arjunan's identity. She is asked to present him on a cafe on a specific time.She informs police and waits for the call makers but Roy Mathew (Prithviraj), a young architect who lands on the city for an interview accidentally sits on the same table near her and gets himself mistaken for Arjunan. From this moment when Roy lands in Cochin, he is transported into a world he never knew. As heaps of media coverage follows, he also finds himself in real menacing situations.
The movie then follows the land mafia whose growth is in such a menacing proportions that they comes in between every projects like the Metro Rail, launched with much popular appeal but may not find themselves completed. The movie goes on for a multi point critique on the entire social structure on which keralites thrive upon asking them to live than to merely exist. The need for vigilant and responsible citizenry is upheld in the entire movie, citing the harrowing experiences of the hero.
Though the movie impresses with the one line, and different opening presentations, the scripts leave a lot to be desired. This time too, Renjith has chosen the cyber world as an anti dote for powerful social problems. The spy cam and related technologies, which we have been used to in much of the today's films, once again surface as prime determinants in the twists in tale. Apart from the loose talks about mafia, the movie still remains as another mass hero oriented flick (with the title tracks when hero is introduced , innumerable stylish cars for him to roam around and even a few slow motions after punchlines).The other pitfalls are that the movie ends up just as a murder mystery solved through the intelligence of hero, who hardly find any identification with common people. Ranjith shankar has really faltered with the scripts and his poor dialogues also fails to raise the interests on the movie. The story stagnates in the later reels with the regular dialogue drama, where the crude and sharp thinking business gang transforms to cowards with below average intelligence.
Prithviraj as Roy Mathew is in his regular mould and has done a good job, though there were no exceptional scenes to make him work harder than usual. Ann Augustine is finer than his debut film and looks savvy as a city bred girl but suffers due to half baked characterisations. All others in the cast are apt on their roles though the villains appear cliched and regular.
The technical sides of `Arjunan Saakshy' remains good with Ajayan Vincent once again presenting Kochyi with the needed splendour. The car chase sequences are also pictured with grandeur .The songs and BG by Bijipal also okay but Renjan Abraham's editing is looser than ever and could have trimmed a few scenes to make the pace faster.
All in all, `Arjunan Sakshy' has admirable visual appeal and strong message, but a not-so-impressive, regular second half will prove a stumbling block. The movie is expected to take a good opening but will move on to the average category after the initial euphoria settles.
Rating-2.5/ 5
