‘Rekhachitram’ movie review: Asif Ali, Anaswara Rajan impress in this clever thriller that presents an alternative cinema history

A scene from ‘Rekhachitram’ Photo Courtesy: Think Music India/Youtube

diagram A disgusting thought comes to mind – is there any Mammootty fan whose name was Mammootty? Chetan’They are generally called Mamukka due to love, respect and reverence. Talking about the film, the poster of the film features Anaswaran Rajan in the role of a nun and Asif Ali as a cop, making one wonder if it is inspired by one of Kerala’s infamous murders. Turns out it’s not, but it inventively explores the alternative history sub-genre of speculative fiction, which isn’t seen as much in Malayalam cinema.

Jofin T Chacko’s film evokes nostalgia like no other in recent times. It is a cinephile’s love note to Malayalam cinema, perhaps to the films and technicians that might have ignited his love for cinema. The writing is intelligent, with past and future organically woven in and out of the narrative. Where it doesn’t and lags a bit, it’s forgivable thanks to the sheer inventiveness of the film in telling a story where past and present seamlessly collide with each other.

It seems that when it comes to cinema lore, the film’s directors John Manthrikal and Ramu Sunil and the film’s director Joffin were on the same platform. The film starts off with all the ingredients for what sounds like another investigative thriller – which it isn’t. The action begins with the discovery of a skeleton; Asif Ali’s Vivek Gopinath, the SHO of the police station under whose jurisdiction it is found, is assigned the case. The new posting is an opportunity to redeem himself, who was under scanner for his gambling addiction and is now eager to make a comeback after being suspended.

Vivek must work backwards to find out whose skeleton it is – the only clue is a video – and there are many obstacles along the way, including political interference. It requires good old fashioned work as there was very little technology in 1985 when the murder took place. Whatever is available in 2024 is of no use.

The path to finding the identity of the victim is long, involving all the elements of police procedural and 80s film nostalgia – movies, junior artistes and even a very generous dose of film journalism of that time. Rekha is a film fanatic fan of Mammootty whose dream is to be a part of films and act with him. The murder takes place during the shooting of a film.

The film under reference is one of writer/director Bharathan’s most loved films Kathodu KathoramThere is even an AI-generated Bharathan and a Mammootty of that time. The use of AI is clever, perhaps because it is restrained. Jagadish makes a cameo talking about one of his films from that time, muthramkunnu poThen we are talking about director Kamal Kathodu KathoramIn short, it’s a sweet blast from the past, with the song ‘Devaduthar Paadi…’ playing in the background, this time the original song from the film (it was reprized a few years ago). Nana Than Kes Kodu, Making it an earworm).

Anaswara Rajan in a scene from ‘Rekhachitram’. Photo Courtesy: Think Music India/Youtube

diagram Sometimes it feels like a slow burn, especially investigating a 40 year old crime with only skeletons! There are some shocks and thrills, but the twist is unexpected and refreshing. Anything else about the story would be spoilers.

The casting is more or less on point, although Manoj’s Jayan is underutilized, alternating between looking nice and menacing. Indran’s role as Chandrappan, a production controller, may be small in runtime, but it is important to the story, as is Saikumar’s.

Meanwhile, is Asif Ali becoming the preferred A-lister for cop roles? No one expects it, but his approach as an investigator bent on solving the case and bringing justice to the victim is intuitive. Anaswara Rajan is coming into her own; She impresses with an enthusiastic line. Zareen Shihab impressed in another performance after last year’s Attam; She proves to be a shapeshifter in just one role.

The female characters in the film are more than mere token presences. Could he have been made to do more work? sure, but women inside diagram There’s more to do than trigger the action, a notable aspect at a time when most Malayalam films seem as if filmmakers have forgotten to write female characters. overall, diagram This is a unique, cleverly made film that has a lot going for it.

Rakshastram is currently running in theaters