Valiya Perunnal HD Released

  It is often said that until we put ourselves into others’ shoes, we cannot gauge what they are going through. And sometimes, people take a particular path out of desperation, which may change their life forever.

Set in Mattancherry, Shane Nigam-starrer Valiyaperunnal conveys this message, through the lives of Akkar (Shane Nigam) and his friends. Scratch beneath surface and their lives are not as cool as it looks. Their families are debt-ridden, houses are about to perish and they under the threat of local mafias. People wish to lead a decent life, but most of the time, they are denied it. That forces the youngsters into activities they don’t really want to be involved with. Debutant director Dimal Dennis does a good job of looking into their situation.

Shane has effortlessly given life to Akkar, and has some good moves whether in the dance sequences or fights. Himika Bose, who plays his love interest, has limited screen time but is good. Joju George too has a small role, but leaves a memorable performance. But the movie’s highlights are the music by Rex Vijayan and choreography by Kings United Mumbai. The way the makers have combined dance with fight sequences in a song is innovative and good.

Suresh Rajan’s cinematography offers some beautiful views of the coastal area. There are fun cameos by Vinayakan, Soubin and Jinu Joseph. It is also the last movie done by the late Captain Raju who delivered a convincing performance. Dimal has tried to be experimental by adopting a realistic and sometimes spoofy style.

But the three-hour-long movie lacks a solid structure. It has many loose ends with the characters not really fleshed out. It takes a while for viewers to get a sense of the goings on; the writers, Dimal and Thasreeq Abdul Salam, could have trimmed it for a better experience. The first half is slow, except for some humorous bit. The second half too suffers from a sluggish pace, save a few thrilling sequences. It is only towards the end that the basic thread is clear to the audience.

If you are a fan of Shane, dance and action, Valiyaperuunal will be good one-time watch.

(Reviewed by Elizabeth Thomas)