Hello Friends,
The films that have been released recently with actor Mohanlal as its hero have only been mediocre fare and leave the actor to carry the film. Which he does, but if his performance is bolstered neatly with content, imagine the magic that would unfold.
It was one such magical moment when we all watched with Dhrishyam and fell in love with the George Kutty family. Who can forget the tough police officer Geetha Prabhakaran so well played by Asha Sharath and every other character in that film were so well etched that they were almost lifelike. Mohanlal was simply marvelous as the doting father and husband willing to go to any lengths to protect his family. However, post-Dhrishyam we are still waiting for that kind of a magic to be recreated but it remains elusive. And I am sure the actor himself must be realizing that.
Neerali is good, but as a cliffhanger thriller, it could have been exceptional if the content had been scoped out a bit better. Here is a man (Mohanlal as Sunny) hanging between life and death as he meets with a road accident along with a friend. That is the central element of the film. What are the different emotions and situations he goes through in such a life-altering scenario? It was a good ploy to introduce the other characters as he sits there frustrated and helpless. We get to know that he is married and is wife is in maternity, and yes, he is stalked by a beautiful young woman who is obsessed with him. Also, he is the blue-eyed boy at work and his women colleagues can’t wait to get their hands on him.
But is this enough to get us hooked? It does to some part, but we as viewers want to know how he extricates himself from this accident, what would be the mindset of such a person, what are the insects and animals that one has to endure when stuck like this are missing. The snake and the monkey do their part, yes, but that does not suffice.
All in all, it is a commendable effort and the film certainly keeps you engaged but not engrossed.
Useful Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neerali
Photo Courtesy: https://shotokay.com/neerali-movie-cast-and-crew-mohan-lalnadhiya/
Cheers
Bhuvana Rajaram