Janamaithri DVD Released

The popular Indian comic character, forest warden Shikkari Shambu, is the go-to guy for the people in his village when they face trouble. He, however, isn’t as brave as they think and is just lucky in every mission. The cops of Paramedu Police Station, SI Shibu (Indrans), Lawrence (Manikandan Pattambi), Ashraf (Sabumon Abdusamad) and team, are in some way successors of Shikkari Shambu. 

The team are on a mission, Oru Chayaku Oru Jeevan, to enhance the image of Kerala Police and make it people friendly. On the first day of the project, Janamaithri din, thieves in their locality find their way to the cops who unknowingly treat them well. When their Good Samaritan attitude puts them in trouble, luck favours them. This heady mix jointly serve a mad adventure to the viewers. 

Debut director John Manthrickal has successfully made a slapstick that remind one of films like Dumb and the Dumber and Aadu where there is a set of brainless people offering the audience a laughter riot. The humorous film, which is layered and smart, is a fun watch. Extra points for the makers for avoiding gross lines in the name of comedy or anything that needs statutory warning - be it alcohol, cigarettes or violence. 

We see actors like Sabumon, Indrans and Saiju Kurup, who plays Samyukthan, a marketing executive who accidentally join the cops in their crazy adventure, showcasing laudable performances. 

Shaan Rahman’s music is in sync with the comedy and enhances the laughter quotient. Editor Lijo Paul with his crisp editing has saved the film which has situational comedies from any lag. 

A movie that can be enjoyed by all ages, somewhere make us think whether the characters are so dumb to seem so focused on their goals. 

It is disheartening to see Kerala Police, that is considered as one of the best forces in the country, being portrayed hare-brained individuals. But haven’t we loved Chaplin films and Shambu comics? Also, was the lady constable (Sruthi Jayan) in the film just to fill the space? The scriptwriters John Manthrickal and James Sebastian could have used the potential of this talented actress in the otherwise well scripted film. 

The writers’ social consciousness is visible in the dialogues of the movie. Nevertheless, one cannot blame the audience if they feel that the duo missed an opportunity while portraying Janamaithri Police and woman character.

On the whole, Janamaithri blows the lid off of the pretentious Malayalis and portrays people around us including policemen as simple human beings and takes us through a funny, silly and interesting ride.