About Anand Sreebala
TECHNICAL
There have been quite a few investigative thrillers of late, mostly police procedurals that feature police officers on the trail of a case. What makes Anand Sreebala is the fact that the titular character, although a police aspirant, is more or less a common man. The story takes off on a linear narrative by introducing the titular character and his background, which itself is quite peculiar and interesting. From the moment Anand gets involved in the case, it provides the setting for a pretty interesting investigative story-telling, but does not exactly fall through entirely as the first half takes its own sweet time with the character and plot setting, and that may not be racy enough for many who are too used to the fast pace that such thrillers usually take; and that could be both something that may set this film apart as different for some, while it may appear long and stretched to others expecting the aforementioned racy thriller film. It does totter in terms of the writing as the narrative progresses, but redeems itself excellently with some twists and turns towards the end.
PERFORMANCES
Anand Sreebala belongs to two performers in the film, one being Arjun Ashokan who plays the titular character. In this film you can see an actor who has clearly evolved as a performer over his last few films, and the character of Anand Sreebala is safe and extremely successful in drawing the audience into the story. Another performer who uplifts the film is Sangita, who is better-known to the Malayali audience as the now-legendary character Shyamala. Despite the limited screentime, her character is one that stays with you in a very different way. Aparna Das too has delivered a commendable performance in the film, along with Saiju Kurup.
VERDICT
Anand Sreebala is an interesting and enjoyable investigative thriller that does not stretch the imagination too much, but delivering a storyline and setting that is extremely relatable and believable. As far as investigative thrillers go, this one takes a different route from the usual films in the genre, and provides a satisfactory watch for the audience.
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