Soubin Shahir has been on one of the leanest patches in his short career off-late. From the highs of "Bheeshma Parvam", he nose-dived into shambolic, ill-conceived roles in 2022 with ventures like "Bro Daddy", "Kallan D'Souza, "CBI 5" until finally hit rock bottom in the absolute dumpster fire that was "Jack N'Jill". But right from the teaser and trailer release of Shahi Kabir's "Ela Veezha Poonchira" there were signs that the very capable actor was on track to make a comeback and boy, does he deliver!
We follow the journey of "Madhu" (Soubin) a seemingly disenchanted, frustrated policeman serving at a police wireless station in the picturesque but treacherous hilltop of "Ela Veezha Poonchira". Located at about 3,200 ft above sea level, this real-life location is prone to lightning strikes and the filmmakers bring that to screen with chilling effect, sending shivers down your spine with the sound design. How the lives of the policemen at this desolate outpost change when the body parts of a murder victim start popping up in their vicinity forms the rest of the story.
Shahi Kabir has proved himself to be the master of the police drama sub-genre, first with his affecting, realistic writing in modern classics like the groundbreaking "Joseph (2018)" and the internationally acclaimed "Nayattu (2021)". In "Ela Veezha Poonchira", he abandons the writer's chair to direct for the first time and translates the nuance, grit and passion we have seen in his screenplays to his direction style, focusing on the trials and tribulations of his protagonists and painting a vivid canvas of realistic police work amongst harsh conditions.
The disquieting surroundings and the enchanting environment suck you in from the word go, with Soubin leading from the front with an assured performance, displaying all the angst and personality quirks of an overworked policeman with conviction. Sudhi Koppa and Jude Anthany Joseph put in convincing portrayals in the supporting roles, playing no small part in building up the tension, which reaches fever pitch by the interval block and then moves at breakneck pace towards a crunching climax.
It was heartening to see the capable actor in Soubin back on full display after a long time, with Shahi Kabir leveraging his captivating, hypnotic eyes and natural quirkiness to full effect. "Ela Veezha Poonchira" is his finest performance since the State Award winning "Sudani From Nigeria (2018)" and a grand return to form for one of Malayalam's most promising character actors who was having a pretty mediocre run in 2022 so far. Shahi Kabir's debut directorial is an engaging watch and highly recommended!
