Pulimada review: Joju George’s intense performance is the backbone of this thriller

Scriptwriter AK Sajan is back with a movie after seven years. His 2016 movie Puthiya Niyamam had Mammootty and Nayanthara as the central characters.

When it comes to Pulimada, his latest flick with Joju George and Aishwarya Rajesh, the writer-director hasn’t changed much in his choice of genres.

AK Sajan chooses an intense topic for his new movie the tagline of which — Scent of a Woman — gives a basic idea about the story.

Further, the trailer reveals that it has an intriguing plot.

Synopsis

Vincent Scaria (Joju George) is a 40-year-old police constable with a disturbing past; his mother suffers from a mental illness. The movie starts with preparations for his wedding day.

However, on the wedding day, the bride elopes with her boyfriend and Vincent gets devastated.

The whole movie is about the hallucinations Vincent experiences during his wedding day when he realises that his wedding is about to get cancelled.

Director AK Sajan, who is also the scriptwriter, makes efforts to give maximum screen space to Joju George as Vincent. The inner feelings of Vincent — his insecurity, rage, and lust — are portrayed well on the screen.

Vincent, who is seething in anger after his wedding gets cancelled, turns alcoholic and even gets used to drugs. As this takes a toll on his mental health, he seeks the help of a psychiatrist played by ace actor-director Balachandra Menon.

While heading back to his place — a village called Parunthum Para, Vincent meets Mahishmati Emilee George (Aishwarya Rajesh), a mysterious woman.

Amid all this, a tiger poses a serious threat to the locals of Vincent’s village. His friend Ambu (Chemban Vinod Jose), a sub-inspector of police, launches a search for the tiger with the help of the forest officials. Sadly, this subplot has not been developed much.

All these incidents happen on a single night. Till the interval, AK Sajan sets a background and the entry of Mahishmati into Vincent’s life plays a crucial role here.

After the first half, the movie turns more intense with a sexual assault, and Vincent is unsure of what happened that night — if he committed the crime or not.

At one point, the film gives the impression that a murderer has been set free. The twist in the climax is pretty superficial and is far away from reality.

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Analysis

Pulimada heavily invests in the character arc of Vincent. But the other important characters like that of Mahishmati deserve good treatment.

Lijomol, who plays the role of CPO Sini, makes some statements about women’s rights and is also vocal about the stand taken by men in a patriarchal society.

At the same time, Vincent is seen making male chauvinist statements in the movie. But he changes a lot at the end.

The movie also speaks about how drugs and alcohol influence a man.

The director makes a laudable effort to showcase mental health issues sensibly.

Get ready to meet #JojuGeorge in a brand new avatar in the captivating crime thriller #Pulimada 🔥 Presented by Sakthi Film Factory, this thrilling film is set to hit theaters worldwide on October 27th. Don’t miss it at a cinema near you 🎬🍿

All over India (Except Kerala)… pic.twitter.com/g35Mfj2pUA

— Sakthi Film Factory (@SakthiFilmFctry) October 25, 2023

Performances

Joju George is the show-stealer in Pulimada.

The actor did many intense roles in several movies and proved his mettle in projects like Joseph (2018) and Iratta (2023).

The close-up shots in intense scenes and the climax scenes where Joju George transforms into a common man are captured well.

Aishwarya Rajesh’s Mahishmati could have been written realistically. She is stunning, and her performance as a mysterious woman is praiseworthy.

Lijomol has limited scenes but with a strong political stand.

Chemban Vinod Jose as Vincent’s friend is good.

Jaffer Idukki and Johny Antony are decent enough.

Also Read: Joju George wears the director’s cap for ‘Pani’

Technical crafts

Cinematographer Venu ISC did a Malayalam movie after a long time. The visual beauty in his frames helps the movie a lot.

The background score by Anil Johnson is loud in some scenes but is decent in other sequences.

The songs by Ishaan Dev, with a Christian background, go well with the mood of the movie.

In the scene where the tiger appears in front of Vincent, no heroic gimmicks are used. It’s a good move by the makers.

The running time of less than two hours helps the film.

Verdict

Pulimada is an intriguing film with a splendid performance from Joju George.

(Views expressed here are personal.)