Perhaps no recent film has had fans as excited as "Bheeshma Parvam", with celebrated director and arguably India's most technically proficient cinematographer Amal Neerad combining with Mammootty, 15 years after the era-defining "Big B" (2007). And the prodigious duo do not disappoint, delivering a sparkling gangster saga that captivates with its visual grammar, making optimal use of Mammootty's irrepressible swagger.
Writers Devadatt Shaji and Amal Neerad himself cleverly adapt elements from "The Godfather" (1972) and the Mahabharatha and customize it to the backdrop of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry in the 80s and early 90s. Attention to detail is Amal Neerad's hallmark and we have come to take that for granted from the celebrated storyteller. Nevertheless, the Beatles-themed song sequences, callbacks to iconic yesteryear brands like Cuticura and Kodak as well as the depiction of the essence of Kochi like only an Amal Neerad camera can, still leaves you spellbound.
Like most eagle-eyed observers would have deduced from the movie's title and the trailer, Mammootty stars as an ageing patriarch in a mafia family, thrown into the midst of simmering tensions among two sets of his brethren. Torn between familial duty and a sense of what is right and wrong, the movie follows his Michael Coreleone-esque path through negotiation, compromise, betrayal, retribution and ultimately, redemption.
Despite the predictability of the storyline, the director builds a deep connection between the audience and the core characters with emotionally charged sequences and hard-hitting dialogue. Sushin Shyam's mesmerizing, almost hypnotic music adds several layers to the narrative, elevating the mass sequences and imbuing depth and soul into the characters, especially the ones played by Sreenath Bhasi and Soubin Shahir. The brilliant "Parudeesa" has become a viral sensation and has been stuck in my head for days.
That Mammootty dominates every scene he is in goes without saying and is ably supported by an in-form Shine Tom Chacko, who delivers a second straight knockout performance as the diabolical "Peter", backing up his career-best outing as Bhasi Pillai in "Kurup" (2021). Dileesh Pothen and Sudev Nair are the other standouts in what was perhaps an overstuffed cast, with many characters that were mere bystanders in the larger scheme of things, played by big-name actors for no rhyme or reason.
Nadhiya Moidu, Lena and the very capable Srindaa are wasted in underwritten and underdeveloped roles while Telugu star Anusurya Bharadwaj manages to hold her own as "Alice" in what is her debut in Malayalam cinema. To see Nedumudi Venu and KPAC Lalitha make their mark in their swansong performances was especially heartening to see, especially in roles that are a far cry from what we are used to seeing from them off late.
The action sequences deserve special mention, with camera work never before seen in Malayalam cinema, accentuated by the adrenaline-pumping, psychedelic BGM by Sushin Shyam. Amal Neerad is easily the one director who knows how to get the best out of Mammootty, using his superstar judiciously but with enormous impact, whenever he is on screen.
A film that carries on from where Big B left, "Bheeshma Parvam" is the mass film Malayalee audiences have been craving for long. Equal parts style, substance and effective fan service, Amal Neerad has blown it out of the park, yet again.
Highly recommended. A mandatory theatre watch!!
