Inkokkadu - Movie Review

Thursday, September 8, 2016 - 15:00
Inkokkadu (2016)
Cast & Crew: 

Film: Inkokkadu
Cast: Vikram, Nayanathara, Nithya Menen, Nasser, Ritwika, Karunakaran and others.
Telugu Dialogues: Shashank Vennelakanti
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Cinematography: R D Rajasekhar
Editing: Bhuvan Srinivasan
Action: Anbuariv, Ravi Varma
Producer: Neelam Krishna Reddy
Story, screenplay, dialogue, and directed by: Anand Shankar
Release date: September 08, 2016
CBFC Rating: UA
Runtime: 155 min

What's it about!
A suspended RAW officer Akhilan (Vikram) is called again by the agency to track down Love (Vikram) whose men attack the Indian embassy in Malaysia. Akhilan whose wife is believed to be killed by Love four years ago takes up the job of hunting down Love. Transgender Love develops super drug that increases adrenaline and is planning to sell off to terrorists. How Akhilan thwarts his plans with the help of trainee RAW officer (Nithya Menen) forms the rest of the story.

Analysis!
Vikram and Nayanathara starrer 'Inkokkadu' is Telugu version of Tamil movie 'Iru Mugan'. As the title says the movie is about two persons and hero fighting with his nemesis. That other person (Inkokkadu) is an eccentric scientist who is also a transgender. So, here we have Vikram The RAW officer and Vikram the transgender villain. The set-up is quite interesting, the plot seems potential for a good thriller but it goes awry as the film progresses.

Although the film begins on interesting note, the pace slackens when Vikram lands in Malaysia with Nithya Menen and the following comedy and episodes are boring. Then the movie gets on engaging mode when the story of Vikram and Nayanathara is revealed - how they fell in love and how she is killed by Love. Again there is a twist before the interval, which is also interesting. But from then, the plot turns flat. There are not many exciting moments to keep our interest in the film.

Entire second half turns very predictable including the climax. Even the main point of Love developing a Drug that pumps adrenaline in people and the people beat up with lot of strength is similar to the villain's super power in '7th Sense'.
A suspended officer coming back to hunt down the villain who killed his wife is a familiar plotline but what the director has added here is putting villain as transgender evil scientist. The character sketch is good but the scenes involving him are not perfect. The easy way Nithya and Vikram find out the whereabouts of Love is hard to believe. That total episode doesn't work. In the second half, the confrontational scenes between two Vikram's are also lengthy without much anxiety.

Nithya Menen is seen in small role. She doesn't add anything to the film. The film is letdown by weak narration. 

Of the performances, Vikram once again proves his strength in the role of Love. He is too good in that role as he perfected the body language so well. Nayanthara shines in her role that requires her exhibit both glamour and action. Tamil comedian Tambi's comedy doesn't work.
Technically the film can't be dismissed as it has terrific cinematography (RD Rajasekhar), good Background score (although Harris's songs don't work except Halena song) and rich production values.

The director has fairly interesting plot on the hand but he has lost grip on it with weak screenplay especially the later portions of the movie totally are quite predictable and boring. Added to this the film comes with loads of loopholes

Bottom-line: Despite okay plotline, interesting interval bang and Vikram's performance as transgender, the movie turns predictable in the second half.

Rating: 
2.75/5