Neru does exhibit the hangover of other courtroom dramas such as Pink and Oru Abhibhashakante Case Diary, alongside writer-director Jeethu Joseph's own family-thriller Drishyam. The writer in Jeethu has always impressed me more than the director, as his writing always offers scope for his actors to shine. That's the case here as well, with some excellent performances from the likes of Anaswara Rajan, Siddique, and (..hold on.. it's been a while..) LALETTAN! Anaswara, who plays the role of a rape victim who's blind, gets the meatiest part and absolutely nails it. Also, having Santhi Mayadevi assisting Jeethu in the screenplay this time around helps look at things from a balanced perspective (as opposed to the clichéd male savior trope), although her featuring in a prominent supporting role feels like an uninspired choice. Vishnu Shyam composes an affecting theme song, which is used throughout the film.
Once again, we're subjected to the "first drama, then thriller" treatment that Jeethu Joseph has worked in his favor in the Drishyam films (including a few notable callbacks). The developments feel slow in the initial half and Mohanlal's entry as Adv. Vijaymohan takes its own sweet time to happen. He's initially presented as a prosecutor who has lost his professional touch, and this is justified in the first half when he's chewed up and spat out by the defense lawyer (a can-do-no-wrong Siddique). However, as audiences, when Vijaymohan slowly regains his lost aura and strikes back, it's almost like a meta-moment where Lalettan the actor is also hinting at getting back on track with his upcoming film choices. It is just WHOLESOME!
Jeethu Joseph makes his usual mistake of casting unconvincing actors in minor roles, to the point of occasionally making you think you're watching a soap opera. While it won't entirely tune you out of the proceedings, this is something the director can take better care of, as it's a recurring element. Also, I don't think audiences need to "revisit" a rape scene (like EVER!) to drive the point home. All this is still forgivable since we get an emotionally satisfying conclusion to the story, with some neat yet subtle statements being made in those closing shots.
P. S. Special shoutout this time goes to Mathew Varghese who played the Judge.
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