Traffic (2011) Malayalam

Traffic is the kind of film that rarely, almost doesn't, pop out of the Mollywood stables, but fortunately, it did. Though, I am starting to see a change in the general trend. New directors are showing up every now and then making either hits or misses(mostly) and some are bringing in new ideas and is experimenting. Though their successful attempts aren't being well received by most as is evident from their box-office performance(rarely, do they show up in theatres). The majority are mostly into mindless slapstick's or supernatural heroics or the usual fares. They aren't ready for or willing to try something new.

Based on a true incident that happened in Chennai, in which a heart was transported via the road for an urgent heart transplant, Traffic breaks all conventions existing right now in Malayalam cinema with its non linear and multi-narrative style which is quite novel or rarely used in Malayalam Cinema. The writing is extremely well taken care of by Bobby Sanjay and it has inspired the director Rajesh Pillai to craft the film so passionately and ingeniously. All the characters we're introduced to, as the film progresses, are very neatly carved and are given enough space to evolve. Every character has an equal role in the suspense that build up as the reel moves forward. Traffic features some apt performances from rarely seen faces on Malayali celluloid. Rahman portrays an ego maniacal film superstar too busy with his stardom and not finding time to be with his family. Srinivasan portrays a traffic police constable who was initially suspended from his post as he was convicted of accepting bribes. Vineeth Srinivasan plays Raihan a newbie journalist, Asif Ali plays Rajeev as his friend and Sandhya plays Aditi, the love interest of Raihan. Anoop Menon triumphantly portrays the role of a city police commissioner and does it quite effortlessly and gracefully. Jose Prakash makes quite a powerful guest appearance as Dr. Simon D'Souza. Its from this point onwards, the movie gains its momentum as a thriller. Kunchako Boban dons the role of a happily married Cardiac Surgeon. As the reel moves on, we're introduced to a few more characters, who would form crux of the story. I felt that Traffic delves deep into emotions of these characters and to do that, the filmmakers have relied on the performances of the actor rather than the dialogues.

The editing was not without its imperfections but was excellent nonetheless. The camera moves like a hand held cam and add that to the performances by the actors. What you get is a slight sense of realism rarely seen in Malayalam films. The style of the movie reminded me of the series Lost which had flashbacks revealing how each of the characters got themselves involved in the events happening in each episodes.

Traffic explores how different lives coalesce due to single accident (like "Crash" or "21 Grams"). It is about the human heart, both literally and metaphorically. The characters are put into quite a brutal test of faith, love, honour and pride which forms the drama that unfolds in the film. Traffic is brilliant & an edgily crafted emotional thriller. You leave the theatre with a feeling of exhaustion, not of boredom, but of a hard hitting emotional experience and adrenaline.