KUNCHACKO BOBAN EXCELS IN AN INTENSE BUT FORMULAIC THRILLER

After a riveting first half, the film derails a bit with its template approach but still has enough to grip one's interest throughout

- VIGNESH MADHU

A crucial point in the initial half of Officer on Duty, Kunchacko Boban's character Harishankar witnesses a horrific sight of a hanging dead body. It triggers in him flashes of his traumatic past, leading to a severe panic attack. When was the last time we saw a police officer experiencing a traumatic breakdown? Not sure. But if you notice, most of Shahi Kabir's works have one such disturbing scene. In Joseph (2018), the protagonist is never able to return to normal life after witnessing his ex-girlfriend's half-decomposed body. Something similar happens to Sunitha and Praveen in Nayattu (2021) and Madhu in Shahi's directorial debut Ela Veezha Poonchira (2022), as well.

Malayalam cinema, which once celebrated its foul-mouthed, macho police heroes, is gradually slanting towards more realistic portrayals. And Shahi, a cop himself, has been at the forefront of this remarkable evolution. Through cops of different characteristics and shades, he has often shown a special interest in exploring their mental health.

In Officer on Duty, his protagonist Harishankar is introduced as a hot-headed and haughty police officer, who returns to duty after being demoted. We get a hint about his traumatic past through a phone conversation where his wife asks him about taking medicines.