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Bharathchandran IPS
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'Bharathchandran IPS' A Political Thriller

By P. Sreekumaran
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

There is a sparkle in his eyes these days. There is a spring in his walk, too. Why not? It's a dream comeback for Action Hero Suresh Gopi. After being in the wilderness for nearly four years, the King of Action has 'blazed' his way back into the elite club consisting of Mammootty and Mohanlal!

And his comeback vehicle, Bharathchandran IPS is on the way to becoming a mega hit, if initial reports are any pointer. The Ranji Panicker-directed flick has had the kind of initial pull no other Malayalam film enjoyed in recent years. It's Ranji's maiden directorial venture too. Panicker can be proud about having played a positive role in Suresh's second coming!

Bharathchandran

IPS is a sequel to Suresh's earlier film ‘Commissioner’, which came out way back in 1994. The film has all the ingredients that are the hallmark of a Suresh Gopi movie: stunning action scenes, power-packed punch lines and fiery dialogue delivery.

A notable feature of the film is the absence of any songs at all. After all, there was no need for songs as the film flaunts no leading lady as such.

It is a political thriller being played out in the Malabar milieu. Mayambaram Baba (Sri Raman) is an ardent advocate of communal harmony. The progressive Muslim leader is a popular man whose appeal cuts across political and religious barriers. But Mayambaram's arch enemy, 'Janab' Hyder Ali Hassan (Sai Kumar) is not at all happy about Baba's people-friendly activities. Hassan, the so-called kingmaker of Malabar League party, has a dream of his own: to build a smart city near Kozhikode. But Baba is a stumbling block in the way. So, the discredited politician, known for his underworld connections, decides to do 'something about' it.

Hassan engineers communal violence with the help of a Hindu extremist leader (Balachandran Chullikad) and other ruffians. Violence breaks out resulting in casualties and communal riots. A worried Government appoints a commission of inquiry to probe the incidents.

The do-gooder in Mayambaram Baba asserts himself. He decides to depose before the enquiry commission. The deposition would have exposed many a politician. So, Baba is shot down by a contract killer from the Gulf, Kala purohit (Ajay Ratnam).

Outraged public opinion wants Police IG Habeeb Basheer (Lalu Alex) to put an efficient police officer to clear the mystery behind the murder that rocked Malabar coastline. Enters Bharathchandran IPS (Suresh Gopi) to untie the Baba murder knot. Bharath has an efficient team to assist him in the ticklish task: Pookoi (Rajan P.Dev), Ali (Madhu Warrier) and Hema (Shreya Reddy).

How the Bharath Band goes about accomplishing the task of bringing the culprits to book is what the rest of the story is about.

There is nothing extraordinary about Ranji Panikkar's directorial debut. It is almost a 'cut-and-paste' job by Panikkar. That way, Bharathchandran IPS is a patchwork quilt of sorts of his earlier political blockbusters. The milieu is the same, so are the characters. But Panikkar has ensured that there is not a single dull moment in the film. It is racy, peppy, spicy and riveting. A film with fizz, as an advertisement says!

And the icing on the cake is the passionate portrayal of Bharathchandran by Suresh Gopi. Not that he has not done such characters earlier. But this time around Gopi brings an intensity and energy unseen since his Ekalavyan days. Dialogue delivery is his forte, and he excels in action scenes, as usual. Hats off to you, Suresh. You are well and truly back with a bang.

The only other character who measures up to Gopi to some extent is Saikumar's Hassan. Shreya Reddy's Hema is no great shakes. The fault is not hers. In a superstar film, the females do not get to do much.

A word of caution to Suresh: do not overdo it. The buzz is that already he has four such films on hand. If he falls into the same trap, Gopi will have to pay dearly. He had to, in the past. Remember, the people who gave wholehearted support to his earlier gun-toting khaki-clad police roles, turned their backs on him when the action masala films became one too many. The result was 'vanvas' for Gopi for four years. The same fate could overtake him unless Gopi is careful in choosing the roles in future.

Meanwhile, watch Bharathchandran IPS for the sheer joy of savouring Suresh Gopi's power acting. It is an adrenalin-racing experience.

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