I am not a fan of the movie Love Action Drama, but Nivin Pauly in that movie was a personal favorite performance. Ramachandra Boss & Co, Nivin’s second collaboration with Haneef Adeni after Mikhael, is similar to the Dhyan Sreenivasan movie in terms of packaging. It has witty moments for sure, thanks to Nivin Pauly and Vinay Forrt, but the overall packaging is pretty routine, making it passable but not memorable.
The film is based on a heist organized by Ramachandra Boss in the Middle East. A don-like businessman named Amar has a priceless painting in his personal collection, which he took from the artist after killing him. Boss planned to take that painting, and he recruited a bunch of nobodies who were in dire need of money. We see how the team manages to do that heist in Ramachandra Boss & Co.
The idea is not spectacularly original, as it amalgamates all the heist movie traits out there. The only thing that makes this somewhat interesting is the characterizations, as they are not shown as experts in the field. The over-dependency on humor is the basic problem. I am not saying I didn’t laugh at all at any of the jokes. Almost every scene with Nivin or Vinay Forrt with their Dasan Vijayan-like combination sequences had me in splits. But everything starts to look silly whenever the movie focuses on the main thing, the heist. Since we have so much exposure these days, the multiple twists aren’t really enhancing the quality of the content in any way. The humor, the sentiments, and the heist parts never blend smoothly, and thus, it’s kind of bizarre to see these characters dance and enjoy while their families are in pain.
It’s not an acting challenge for Nivin Pauly by any means, and his signature style of humor, the one we have seen in films like Oru Vadakkan Selfie and LAD, saves the movie from being a mighty bore. Equal credits should be given to Vinay Forrt for the way he pulled off Shailesh. The humor never went over the top, and the annoyance kind of felt relatable. Jaffar Idukki, as the veteran in the gang, handled the humor and sentiments neatly. Mamitha Baiju is in that Sona Re mode, which works for the film. Vijilesh, Sreenath Babu, and Aarsha Baiju are also part of the cast, but the scope for them to perform was pretty minimal. The antagonist, played by Munish Sharma, was a stylish yet hollow characterization, and the performance was also not that intimidating.
Unlike his previous ventures, Haneef Adeni is exploring humor here, but all the signature slow-motion stylization you see in his movies is there for this movie, too. The effort on a writing level to make the heist look appealing and convincing is really low. In fact, they are investing more in momentary humor, like a cover-up for these flaws. And frankly, for a festival entertainer, that kind of humor can make the audience laugh for the time they are inside the theater. I actually found myself looking for the humorous parts, as the creative laziness was pretty evident every time they tried to make the heist look cool or well-planned. The song placement to make the movie a colorful entertainer was obvious and wasn’t in sync with the flow of things. Visuals are more inclined towards making things look glossy and stylish, typical Haneef Adeni stuff. Excessive cuts make the climax fight less appealing, and by the way, what the hero does to finish off the villain is easily guessable.
Like I said in the beginning, Love Action Drama is not a movie even the makers claim as something great by any means. But the dialogue-humor and the actor chemistry had made that film at least bearable. Ramachandra Boss & Co. also belongs to that category. Barring the humor in scenes featuring Nivin Pauly and Vinay Forrt, the rest is pretty usual and forgettable.
Barring the humor in scenes featuring Nivin Pauly and Vinay Forrt, the rest is pretty usual and forgettable.
Green: Recommended Content
Orange: The In-Between Ones
Red: Not Recommended
