Shikkari
Saturday, 10 March 2012 11:21 | 
Written by Prasanth | 
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Medium : Malayalam
Starring : Mammootty, Poonam Bajwa, Innocent, Suresh Krishna, Tini Tom, Mohan, Aditya
Director : Abhay Simha
Music : V.Harikrishna
In the past, we have discussed about the similarities of the titles / themes of movies done by the lead heroes in the malayalam. For those who have not gone through that, here are those examples once again.
Movies like 'Chronic Bachelor' and 'Mr Brahmachari', 'Aaraam Thampuran' and 'Valyettan', 'Ravanaprabhu' and 'Rakshasa Rajavu', 'Balettan' and 'Vesham', 'Parunthu' / 'Pramaani' and 'Maadambi', 'Keerthichakra' and 'Mission 90 Days' etc done by big Ms are examples of such a fact. Either, there is resemblance in titles or even you will be able to find the identical characteristics in the roles handled by both. The latest addition in that group is 'Shikkari' by Mammootty, which remembers us the title of the Mohanlal movie 'Shikkar'.
'Shikkari' is directed by Abhay Simha. His debut venture in kannada, 'Gubbachigalu' won the National Award for best children’s film in 2008. The young director is lucky enough to associate with one of the greatest actors in India, in his second movie. The beginning days of a project like 'Shikkari' is also interesting. It is heard that Abhay had once send an sms to Mammootty, expressing his wish to make a movie with the actor; in response the actor himself called and asked him to send the synopsis through an email, later he was called to Kochi for a meeting. When Abhay gave him the script to read, the actor told the director, 'it is not necessary, we are doing the movie'.
Abhay was planning to make 'Shikkari' in Kannada, as the actor's debut project in that language. As per Mammootty's suggestion, the movie has been made in malayalam also, a bilingual one, with the addition of actors like Innocent, Suresh Krishna, Tini Tom etc for the malayalam version. Vikram Shrivastava is the cinematographer. S.Manohar is the editor. Music is handled by V.Harikrishna. The movie is produced by K.Manju. Mammootty is doing the role of a software engineer and a freedom fighter, likewise Poonam Bajwa ('China Town', 'Venicile Vyapari' fame) is also having a double role in this movie. The movie that was decided to release during the last year, came late by many months.
The movie starts with the story of software engineer (Mammootty) in Bangalore, who is reading a book named Shikkari. He is deeply attached with the incidents in it, that tells the story of a freedom fighter (Mammootty) in the 1940's. At a certain moment, the pages of the book were found lost. In a thrilling mood, the reader has decided to visit the place where the story has happened, to know about the remaining facts. He finds a girl (Poonam Bajwa), she looks similar to that of the heroine in the book.
The theme of the movie is ok. The main drawback here is the presentation of the incidents. It is very slow, lagging and has got a dry effect. Though this is a
remake, most of the time it has got the feel of a dubbing movie only. Some of the dialogues that comes in the middle, felt good. The songs are happening at unwanted situations and they are not good ones also; more over the one that comes near the ending portion is placed only to test the patience of the audience, who had started leaving even before the show ends. The transition between the sequences in the past and the present, are not linked in an attractive manner. The tiger (they are referring it as leopard in all the dialogues) done in computer graphics is good, but the activities of the animal felt childish. Keep in mind, without any visual effects, I.V.Sasi had created such scenes brilliantly in 'Mrigaya', released two decades before.
It is very hard to make a periodical subject these days, the director and the producer had found a short cut method, by placing minimum number of actors, without showing much outdoor locations, altogether creating an amateurish mood. The romance happening between the hero and heroine is not convincing, the talk by the girl towards the climax, creates some confusion also. As last year, Mammootty's bad luck still continues, he is expecting to bounce back with the mega venture 'The King and the Commissioner' releasing in a couple of week's time. Poonam Bajwa is ok. Even with a presentable theme in hand, the national award winning director had failed to keep up his fame.