IBTimes India rating: 4
From scene one till the end, the mysteries that revolve around Melvin Philip is the driving force of Rajesh Pillai's "Vettah". The movie, starring Kunchacko Boban, Manju Warrier and Indrajith Sukumaran is definitely one of the best psychological thrillers till date.
The revenge crime thriller begins with an actress (Sanoosha Sanoop) going missing, a case Manju and Indrajith's characters are assigned to investigate. Soon, they identify Melvin (Kunchacko) as the main culprit, and he even confesses to killing her and their friend (Mithun Ramesh). However, the investigators find it difficult to conclude the case due to the mysteries surrounding Melvin. How they unravel the puzzle of murders, missing people and accidents through Melvin is narrated in "Vettah". The movie also gives an insight into the commercialised education system, which brutally punishes students for below-par performance in academics.
Kunchacko has been seen in several chocolate-boy and comic roles, but this salt-and-pepper avatar in "Vettah" is definitely his career-best performance. Manju's performance as Sreebala IPS needs a special mention as she has finally come out of her comfort zone with a remarkable comeback as an efficient police officer as well as a caring mother and daughter. As always, Indrajith has done justice to the character of ACP Xylex Abraham. All other supporting cast, including Vijayaraghavan, Rony David Raj and Prem Prakash, have also done well in the film. Child artiste Akshara Kishor is charming as always.
After "Traffic", Rajesh has successfully brought a different dimension to the thriller genre with "Vettah", along with Arunlal Ramachandran's scripting, which has made the movie more engaging. Shaan Rahman's music and background score blend well with the intense situations of the film. Anish Lal R's cinematography, especially the aerial shots, are brilliant.
Final Verdict: Although the movie lacks some clarifications here and there, the mysterious and engaging plot of "Vettah" sets it apart from other thrillers in Malayalam, and is a must-watch, especially for the magical directorial skills of late filmmaker Rajesh Pillai, who couldn't even enjoy the success of his movie. The entertainment industry has definetely lost yet another filmmaker who had the calibre to make great movies.
