In Shaji Kailas' 'August 15', the Chief Minister of Kerala (Nedumudi
Venu) escapes an assassination attempt, and hotshot cop Perumal
(Mammootty) is called in to investigate. Realizing that the CM was
poisoned, Perumal decides to nab the assassin before he has another go
at the Cm's life.
What has backfired in 'August 15' is the lack of a clear cut ploy that
is intriguing enough to keep you glued to the screen. Yes, the CM's
assassination attempt is matter enough to craft some thrilling
material, but the writing is often downright lackluster that you
realize that Swamy is nowhere near his prime any more.
There is one particular scene where an exasperated Perumal, fires a
series of bullets on to a wall that has been plastered with several
possible pictures of the assassinator. Light floods in through the
cracks on the wall. The entire investigation is punctured with similar
loopholes, and a lack of logic runs all along. Some scenes are
downright silly as well. It's quite odd, when Perumal gets up at the
middle of the night and starts surfing Wikipedia for 'poison' entries.
The political standpoint that 'August 15' adopts, is slightly
different in that it is not Chief Minister-obsessed as is the usual
case. It talks of the alleged faction war in the Communist Party, and
suggests that nothing is actually as wrong as it is being depicted by
the media. All is well, says the CM and the Party Secretary
(Saikumar).
The script has been stuffed with potentially suspicious characters,
and these minor character portrayals are nothing but tiny disasters.
Take for instance Aravindan (Jagathy Sreekumar), who hogs plenty of
screen space towards the beginning of the film. The slightly strange
personality attributes that this man is endowed with makes him the
focus of attention for a while. What bothers us then, is the way he
fizzles out with a trace not much later.
Another major disappointment is the climax that happens on August 15,
and the makers have gone for a scene change as such, perhaps taking
into consideration the pains of shooting on a parade ground. It's not
the change in scenario that ends up being unsatisfactory, but the way
it all ends. Swamy doesn't stop even with the assassin out of the
picture. He drags in a further twist that looks and sounds like an
appendage that has been severed off, and yet hangs on to the main part
for its dear life.
Perumal has softened up a bit; matured perhaps. But then, this isn't a
character that you know inside out, like Sethurama Iyer. He drinks
gin, we are told, and has turned a bit flirtatious. He pays a fine for
not wearing a helmet while driving. He doesn't have an office or
personal staff, and of course he rides a Bullet. Mammootty is the man
in action here, and no prizes for guessing that as Perumal, he looks
swell! Siddiq and Saikumar are the two other actors worth a mention.
In 'August 15', the techniques of film making have moved forward by
leaps and bounds, while the writing is still stuck at primitive level.
It's doubtful if history would repeat itself, but Swamy needs to spice
up his writing skill real quick, lest it becomes history.
