Mumbai Police

Aamir Khan’s Talaash was one movie that disappoints you at some pivotal areas but when you rewind the entire content, everything in it makes sense. In the case of director Rosshan Andrrews’ latest movie Mumbai Police, it took almost a day (my bad) for me to sync in all those minute details Bobby and Sanjay included in the script. As I went through the entire movie thoroughly, it started to make sense and I got fascinated by the freshness.

The plot here revolves around the central protagonist Antony Moses who was investigating the murder case of his colleague come close friend Aryan John Jacob. But a road accident during the final stage of the investigation takes away Antony’s memory and he almost forgets everything including his identity. With the help of his friend Farhan, Antony is trying to resolve the case once again. The complexities Antony faces with his mental condition and how he ultimately finds out the truth is basically the film all about.

The content here is quite fresh and the script has taken care of many small details which when we look back is answered correctly. The unevenness I felt was in filming the deep rooted friendship of the three guys, especially the bonding between Aryan and Antony. The film which was earlier planned on a wider canvas was restricted to a smaller one. If they had included a few more scenes including Aryan and Antony, the friendship side could have been made more solid. And the prompt decision of the villain to finish the guy was also something lacked conviction. But, the interesting thing here I felt was the placement of memory loss which was used impressively. An Antony who just doesn’t know what kind of a man he was is perfect for the scenario and Farhan making him investigate the whole plot once again had its reasons.

On screen, Prithviraj is indeed impressive as the confused Antony Moses. But that energy we saw him in films like Vargam, Vasthavam etc was missing in his portrayal of Antony’s rough past. Jayasurya delivers a nice performance in his role and Rahman is also comfortable as Farhan. The rest of the cast including Aparna, Chali Pala, Kunjan and debutant Hima Davis have done their part neatly.

Rosshan Andrews once again proved his style and vision by making the entire film through smart frames that has a fresh energy. As I said earlier, it took a while for me to digest all those tiny elements in the script. Bobby and Sanjay have done a smart job by making us figure out why many obstacles and complexities were created in Antony’s investigation. One more thing that impressed me is the misleading nature of the script which will surely make the suspense of the film more agonizing. The film is a bit dragging at the beginning and ending portions. The engaging portions in the middle were captured quite smartly. The cinematography of Diwakar was really good. The concluding frame of the first stunt, the attire of those luxurious interiors, experiments with shadows etc were captured beautifully. Edits are smooth but the stunts aren’t that charming. The background score of Gopi Sunder is engaging but the placement; especially in the first half was a little awkward.

Overall, Mumbai Police turns out to be quite a special film.  It is indeed a unique craft, with some intriguing emotional complexities. I am giving the movie a 3.5/5. If you have felt that it’s not up to the mark, a careful backtrack may help you in realizing the beauty.