Photographer is a movie that makes you confused and totally exhausted even if you are a very big fan of the star. The main problem with the film is that director Ranjan Pramod has no control over the narration of his own story, which happens to be utterly nonsensical. There isn't a single scene that can attract the attention of the audience.
The film is all about the life of Dijo John, a natural photographer living with his family who make outings to forests for bigger magazines like National geographic and to make more money.
Dijo has a flashback in which he boldly manages to make a Brahmin girl Sathyavathy (Nithyashree) his wife. And amidst one of his missions to the forests, he happens to save an Aadivasi boy, Thammi, from the hands of a notorious police officer and his crew and becomes the spokesperson on their behalf.
He even makes a photograph of the police officer aiming at the harmless boy and tries to bring the issue to public. But his friend who is also the state forest minister assures protection to the boy and advises him from making these incidents more public.Thammi who is lodged in a juvenile home, happens to be there for a while but toward the middle of the film goes missing. Then our wild life activist is again on the run towards the interiors of the forest to trace the child. And amidst the new mission, the photographer is also missing.
And then comes the surprise package of the film which turns out to be another non starter. Dijo's younger brother Joy (Mohanlal two) is a happy-go-lucky rich planter and a pulp writer who has a publication. He who tries to break comedies and try to be in par with the Lal of late eighties, try to investigate the situation but with little success. Later Dijo is found walking around the forest in a dazed condition as he realizes that his fight for the rights of adivasi is a futile exercise and all including his friend, the forest minister and the bureaucracy is nowhere to help the men of the forest.
The film which progresses in a snailish pace shows no promise except by the cinematographer who took ample space to display his natural photography at greater lengths. The main problem with the film is that Ranjan, who himself scripted the film, faltered in the script department itself.
No one could have expected this from Ranjan Pramod who made his mark as a script writer with memorable hits like Meesa Madhavan, Manasinakkare, Achuvinte Amma and Naran. As for direction, the less said, better. The acting department also falls flat, that is normally not seen in a Malluwood movie. The director obviously didn't pay much attention to that, perhaps taking it for granted that the presence of the superstar would ensure good acting. But the fact is that the twin roles of Lal too lack character and substance.
The presence of two new heroines neither adds any regained interest in the already stale proceedings. Sharanya Bhagyaraj and Nityashri - better luck next time, Johnson also makes a worse comeback through the film with songs that add to one's despair. And adding to that is the length of the film which has virtually stretches around two hours and 32 minutes.......And when you are left after all these turmoil, all you will be left is to recollect the reasons for such a pathetic film affair.
