Passenger - is a well executed thriller

Rajappan

A thriller and restrained narratives seldom go hand -in hand. But director Renjith Shankar in his positively brimming and appreciable debut has forced such a miracle in Mollywood. A sharp film, mixing genres with a spectacular aplomb, the debutante with his movie ‘Passenger’ necessarily races in a lot of fresh air and ideas to the industry, which had been terribly off rails with the regular detrimental routines. In fact, he has even toned down the mandatory songs, and associated emotional drama, to create a rather well-crafted film on a cheeky concept, that achieves more than what it set out to.

The movie which is also scripted by the director tells the happenings in the life of three persons in a span of three days. Sathyanath, working in a pharmaceutical company, is a committed middle class man living with his simple dreams and desires. His routine includes daily to and fro travel on train from Nellayi to Ernakulam south, with his bunch of friends working in various firm in the city. A sharp tongued citizen with good observations and responsibility, he has a peculiar habit of taking a short sleep for half an hour amidst his travel schedule.

Adv. Nandan Menon , a social activist is hell bend of evacuating a multinational company from the shores of Maranattukara, which is planning to displace thousands from the land for carrying on with their mineral sand mining activities. He is running cases pleading adequate govt. intervention in countering this sand mafia. He is adequately supported in this venture by his wife and visual media journalist, Anuradha, who is presently engaged in exposing the nexus between home minister Thomas Chacko and the foreign companies.

On the same night Sathynathan, late from his work, catches a different train, remains asleep for long and meet Nandhan Menon in the train. Anuradha, who is now chased by the goons of the minister, also gets alleged for a murder. Sathyanathan who was perfect stranger for the couple, now decides to do his share to help his new find friend who is doing good for the society. The movie then takes the shape of an edge of the set thriller, and races ahead to an indulging finale.

The film, balanced well, though with a few loose ends, never quite loses the grip as the screenplay and protagonists talks only as much as is required. With familiar characters with contemporary references, the movie showcases a glorious, idyllic celebration of middle class values, mirroring our times, with a few idealistic men taking the helm of activity. Most of the cast including Dileep and Sreenivasan act well and good, as they haven't been asked to overdo much in the first place. Mamtha excels in her role of a journo, and in fact never ever creates a dull moment in her sequences. But the surprise package is Jagathy Sreekumar, with a very constraint act to live up to the role of a political megalomaniac.

The movie also belongs to cinematographer P Sukumar who has done a great job with well framed shots, capturing the essence of life in trains. Biji Bal in background scoring and Saburam in art direction also amuses the audience with their cleverness.

With a heart exactly in the right place, Renjith Sankar's first film shows a lot of good intent. Jump on this ‘Passenger’ to spend a two hour of engaging adventures, and of course, to enjoy a big breath of fresh air.

Bhuhaha · Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 2:05 pm Post subject:

Its already a Hit

Rajappan · Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 2:22 pm Post subject:

Cast: Dileep, Sreenivasan, Mamta Mohandas... Director: Renjith shankar

A thriller that's quite unlike run-of-the-mill thrillers, yet one that keeps you at the edge of the seat till the very end - that's what the Ranjith Shankar-directed 'Passenger' is. A thriller that unlike most other films of the genre, touches the chords of your heart. A thriller that has an emotionally charged end sequence that you'd never expect in a film of this type. Above all, a movie with a social commitment and a very solid message to convey. In less than two hours, 'Passenger' gives you more than what you probably would have expected out of it and comes out as a neat, taut movie that has been packaged exceptionally well.

Sathyanath (Sreenivasan) works as an assistant manager in a private firm. Every day he commutes to his work place by train. And like many other commuters he falls asleep a few minutes after boarding and wakes up a few minutes before it's time to get off. This happens so systematically, Sayhyan's co-commuters Varghese (Harisree Ashokan), Jaffer (Kochupreman), Unni (Anoop Chandran) and Thankappan (T.P. Madhavan) are well aware of this.

Nandan Menon (Dileep) is an advocate and his wife Anuradha (Mamta Mohandas) is the star reporter of Right TV, a private television channel. Anuradha has been taking up the cudgels against the State Home Minister Thomas Chacko (Jagathy Sreekumar), who is a very diplomatic, shrewd and corrupt politician. Nandan, an upright lawyer, has been fighting the cause of a group of villagers who also are engaged in a political and legal tussle with Thomas Chacko. Thus both Nandan and Anuradha are a pain in the neck for the Home Minister.

In the meantime, Anuradha does a sting operation on Thomas Chacko and gets evidence about a deadly plan hatched by the minister and his aides. Thomas Chacko realizes that he could be in serious trouble and sets out to finish the couple once and for all. It's about this time that Nandan Menon and Sathyanath meet for the first time, during a train journey when Sathyanath happens to oversleep. From here the story takes a new turn, builds up suspense and keeps you glued to the seat.

Sreenivasan, Dileep, Mamta Mohandas, Jagathy Sreekumar and Nedumudi Venu (as a taxi driver) have done full justice to their respective roles, but it's Sreenivasan who takes the cake. Sona Nair as Thankamma Rajan, a lady who has been hitting hard against Thomas Chacko, is good. Anand Swamy as 'Anali' Shaji, the typical goonda, is good too. The others in the cast also perform well, though some of them like Lakshmi Sharma, Anoop Chandran etc don't have much to do.

The film as a whole belongs to Ranjith Shankar, the debutante director, who has also penned the story and the screenplay. He deserves to be appreciated for his choice of subject, the treatment that he has given to it, and the control that he has exercised over the subject and the medium. He also needs to be appreciated for having delivered a message without sounding didactic or boring.

The technical aspects are all in tune with the mood and the tempo of the film. Though there are no songs in the movie, the background music is worth mention. What cynics and self-proclaimed critics will have to say about the film is anybody's guess, but from the perspective of the average film-viewer, 'Passenger' is a good movie, well-made and definitely worth a watch.

Rajappan · Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 2:27 pm Post subject:

Phew! Finally a film that puts the snap, crackle and pop back into the thriller genre! If you have for once gulped down a sigh, having sat through a tautly made Tamil flick, wondering why films of the sort are never ever made down here, head straight to the hall near you that plays Passenger. Ranjith Shankar's independent style flaunts a classic stratagem that pumps in the right amount of grit and intrigue into a film that's as spry and alive as it could possibly be.

It all happens on a day when destiny throws in a bunch of people going on with their uneventful lives, together on a mission. Sathyanathan (Sreenivasan) is one of the millions of daily commuters by train, who having fallen asleep one late night misses his home town station. Waking up, he gets acquainted with Nandan Menon (Dileep), an advocate by profession who is heading to a hotel room where he would be alone for the night, since his wife Anuradha (Mamta Mohandas) is away on an assignment, covering up a news story that has been rocking the state. The men strike up a pleasant conversation before parting ways as the train grinds to a halt. Little do they realize that the TV journo has on her cards, a set of different plans - those that will change their lives forever.

With any number of film makers out there obsessed with tradition, culture and even language, Malayalam cinema had almost begun to remind me of branded bottled water. Exactly the same size, manner and taste. And along comes the Passenger, that's packed with plenty of smart, fresh and welcome touches. Little wonder then that it injects a new verve into a medium that had been rotting away in a swamp of replications.

Now this is what I would call smart film making. It doesn't climb up that high-and-mighty platform to look down on the masses who have gathered to receive those pearls of wisdom that would soon drop down in profusion. On the contrary, it has its theories firmly rooted in the ground, and it occupies a seat beside you and me and takes a look at the world around. And finally, lets us decide.

Passenger respects the age and times that have witnessed its making. It's a film for today. And it smells of the real world from which you had taken a break. There is the new age grandmom who has cast aside the betel pot for the remote and who busies herself supporting her faves on the reality show. An entire generation that has mistaken an addiction for machismo isn't spared either. A popular sport rules the roost in living rooms. Hi-fi gadgets and gizmo occupy laymen pockets and mouths.

There are any number of sequences that would make you feel if you haven't felt that sometime yourself. Such is the proximity that the film builds up in no time. There's a fantastic rejoinder that Sathyan puts forward, when he suggests that these days jokes are often restricted to dreams. Open your eyes and you see disasters all around. And when the station master admits that fear has almost become an ingrained emotion in man, we can only readily agree with a nod.

Working up his way from a tight and real solid script, Ranjith extends the bristling style that he cooks up in the first hour, in new directions in the latter half, as he lives up to time-honored story expectations. He does the obligatory wrapping up without inflicting musty conventions upon the viewers. Songs for one, go for a toss. And so do the absurd stand-up humor tracks. Superbly planned and elegantly executed, there's rarely a dull moment in this adroit film.

I am tremendously glad to see two actors breaking up the fetters that have been binding them down terribly. Sreenivasan brings in an ordinariness to his portrayal that's quite effortlessly endearing. Dileep effectively underplays his role to perfection and it's heartening to see him go for a role that offers him some meat with a vengeance. This should be a clean start for Mamta as well, whose choices have been nothing short of catastrophic till date.

I have little doubt that I am gonna watch this one all over again. And I'm sure several of you would do as well.

Rajappan · Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 2:30 pm Post subject:

A fateful night that changed the lives of some people who almost belong to a cross section of the society! Perhaps a perfect premise for an edge-of-the-seat thriller and that is just what debutant director Ranjith Shankar offers in Passenger.

Here is a film with a nice storyline that succeeds in keeping the intricacies of the narrative intact. The film begins by focusing on the life of Sathyanathan (Sreenivasan), who travels on a season ticket regularly, to his office and back. He is a nice soul, with a concern for the well being of others.

One night, he remains asleep on his way back after a tiring day in his office and fails to get down from the train at his destination, Nellayi. That results in a chance meeting with Advocate Nandan Menon (Dileep), who also happens to be a fellow traveler in the same train, on his way to Guruvayur.

Around the same time, Nandan's wife Anuradha (Mamta), a TV journalist, is all set to unearth a scoop involving the tainted defense minister of the state. Though he was a total stranger until some moments ago, Sathyanathan proves to be the crucial factor in the lives of the couple, after the minister and his goons start chasing them.

The best thing about the film is its ensemble cast that puts together a fine show, without the bindings of any set images. Dileep never tries to impose his heroics and is riveting, Sreenivasan is superb as the ‘Good Samaritan' and Mamta for once, shines in a non-glamorous role. But the surprise package is the inimitable Jagathy Sreekumar, essaying an amazing performance as the corrupt minister, who in fact is a cold blooded villain.

True, the film has its loose ends in the script and the director has gone for a conventional style rather than a modern approach, in the presentation. The dialogues are at times dramatic as well. But on the whole he has been successful in presenting the story as an engrossing thriller with a stunning climax.

A considerable portion of the film happens inside the railway compartments and that has been handled with the expertise of a seasoned filmmaker. The visuals are quite good and the background score has been used in a highly effective way.

It's the gripping manner of presentation that makes the film, a must watch. As one comes out of the theatres after watching the film, several questions arise in our minds regarding the various possibilities that the protagonists had, in the given situation. Now, that's exactly where the film succeeds. It makes you think about it for sure even after you're out of the theatres, perhaps unlike other recent films!

Passenger, is a taut thriller, with gritty performances that keeps the mercury rising. It moves like a super fast express train, racy with a running time of 2 hours, and is worth a ride. Go for it!

Verdict: Good

Rajappan · Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 2:32 pm Post subject:

Anandhan · Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 5:22 am Post subject:

After seeing '2 harihar nagar, i am eagerly waiting to watch Bhagyadevatha...now one more movie added into my list...
great review ...thanks..rajappo...

Rajappan · Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 6:56 am Post subject:

Thriller avumbo ith family audiencnu ishtapedanam ennilla. So velya hit avumo entho?

pranku · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 11:00 am Post subject:

malayalathil nalla thrillers inte oru kurav und ... puthiya pareekshanangal varatte Applause