Movie: Inkokkadu
Rating: 2.5/5
Banner: NKR Films
Cast: Vikram, Nayanathara, Nithya Menen, Nasser, Ritwika and others.
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Cinematography: R D Rajasekhar
Editing: Bhuvan Srinivasan
Producer: Neelam Krishna Reddy
Written and directed by: Anand Shankar
Release date: September 08, 2016
After playing quite different role in Shankar's "I", Vikram donned the role of a transgender in "Inkokkadu". His getup that was revealed in the trailer evoked huge interest on the film.
Although the Telugu audiences do not know the movie's director, the trailers made everyone look forward to this. Has this film lived up to its promise?
Story:
Akhilan (Vikram) is an officer in RAW. The secret agent left the organization as his wife Meera (Nayanathara) was killed by a transgender pharmaceutical mafia don Love (Vikram) four years ago. Akhilan destroys the empire of Love and kills him. Four years later, a group of RAW agents notice that the network of Love has resurfaced. Now, Akhilan is called again for work. Akhilan along with trainee RAW agent (Nithya Menon) heads to Malaysia to find out about Love. What happens next is the story.
Artistes’ Performances:
Vikram has donned two roles - RAW officer and transgender villain called Love. It is in the role of Love that he has excelled. Although the character lacks dum, he has delivered the goods.
Nithya Menon has not much role except being present in his mission. Nayanthara has got meaty role and she has carried it off well. Nasser is seen in a regular role.
Technical Excellence:
Rich cinematography by R D Rajasekhar is the main highlight. He shot the entire movie with beautiful visuals. The film is shot mainly in Malaysia and the city is captured well. Of the songs, "Halena" works. Background score is good. Pace of the movie is slow and inconsistent. Action sequences are okay. The film has rich production values.
Highlights:
Vikram's Love character
Interval twist
Nayanthara
Technical values
Drawback:
Dull first scenes
Boring second half
Lack of consistency in narration
Too many boring moments
Thambi Ramayya comedy track
Lengthy drawn out climax
Analysis:
Though Vikram is one of the finest actors we have in India, he has off late developed a weakness for getups, falling for "different roles" for the sake of being different.
Many of his recent movies were turned down by critics and general public for the same reason as he is indulging heavily on getups, makeup-oriented characters forgetting the fact that the movies first narrate an interesting story.
Clearly, "Inkokkadu" proves the same fact, as he seemed to have been fascinated by playing the villain role that is a transgender. Because the role of transgender is interesting but beyond that there are very few interesting aspects in this movie directed by Anand Shankar. There is lot of focus on this transgender character called Love but his activities do not evoke necessary interest.
It is not to say that the movie has interesting moments. It indeed offers some good action episodes, a very well staged interval bang with a good twist. Anyone who has seen handful of Hollywood thrillers can easily guess the interval twist but still it serves well here. But the movie doesn't rise above these.
The director fails to build up tension in the moments. Everything is revealed in the very beginning - the identity of villain's role (Vikram as Love), the Nayanathara's twist, and the drug that Love has developed. Once it is revealed that the drug is going to be in the hands of terrorists, and hero's mission is to stop this, there is nothing much to look forward, no adrenaline rush of action, no build up tension. Thus the second half turns complete bland. It is complete bore after the interval
There is only one song that is interesting - Halena and that is constantly played from the starting to the end. Rest of the songs don't work. Nithya Menon's character has no value to the story. The comedy done by Tamil actor Thambi Ramayya is typical Tamil comedy that doesn't work with Telugu audiences.
Overall, Vikram's performance as transgender, interval episode, and some scenes work but rest of the drama is quite boring. The director has failed to tell the thriller engagingly.
Bottom-line: Doesn't Work!
