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Review: Veendum Kannur is lacklusture

Paresh C Palicha says it is better to watch a re-run of an old film on TV than Veendum Kannur.

There were times when political thrillers used to give us goosebumps. There was the hero fighting for the downtrodden masses or taking on the corrupt system single- handed and miraculously cleansing it.

In more recent times, there is armchair activism, as social networking sites get into the act and this is what Veendum Kannur is about: political activism a la the internet.

The story is set in northern Kerala, a veritable killing field for political rivals of different hues. The crimson background right at the start of the movie signals the gore and mayhem that it to follow.

Hero Jayakrishnan (Anoop Menon) is the progeny of a top Leftist leader who is averse to any progress funded by multinational corporations. This leads to

direct confrontation between the father and his more 'modern' son.

The love interest appears in the form of actress Sandhya, the daughter of the father's biggest political rival, who is a journalist. This of course only heightens the tensions between father and son.

The direction by Haridas is very loud and tacky. The film is like a patchwork of episodes which does not allow the viewer to get involved in any way.

It is shocking that an intelligent writer and actor like Anoop Menon has chosen to play such a loud and old-fashioned character. The others in the cast are forced to give over-the-top performances.

If Veendum Kannur is a thriller, it is a most lacklustre one, which will neither excite nor move the audience. Much better to watch a re-run of an old film on the idiot box than venture into the theatres to see this one.

Rediff Rating: