Lion Malayalam Movie
If Dileep had a very effeminate role in Chaandupottu, he has a very masculine one in Lion. And he does it with elan. Though it is early days, if the crowds milling at the theaters is any indication, Lion promises to be the first hit of the new year. It is slickly packaged. The narrative is simple and straight forward with realistic characterization.
One however wonders why some actors are there in the film at all. Cochin Haneefa, Bheeman Raghu, Salim Kumar, Santhosh, Harisree Ashokan barely make cameo appearances. Dileep has four sidekicks with him all the time, played by Madhupal, Saji Soman, Binish Kodieri, and Sreejith Ravi, of whom only Madhupal has any dialogue to mouth. The other three seem to have been accommodated in the film because they happen to be the offspring of the Late Soman, Kodieri Balakrishnan and T.G. Ravi respectively.
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The film celebrates the defiant deeds of Krishnakumar, the ideology-driven son of a politically corrupt father Chandanakkaattil Balagangadharan. He takes on and defeats the latter in his own constituency, and is subsequently framed for his father's murder, but finally comes through unscathed. Lion fields the same team as Runway. If that was a success of sorts, this is going to be an out and out winner.
Dileep puts on a masterly performance as Krishnakumar. Sai Kumar, Shammi Thilakan and Riaz Khan excel as his three scheming in-laws, bureaucrats who are in cahoots with his father and are out to exploit his political clout for personal gain. Kalasala Babu impresses as the corrupt politician. Jagathy does justice to the role of PA to the corrupt Minister. Dileep himself takes care of the comedy department and is ably supported by Jagathy, Innocent, Cochin Haneefa, Salim Kumar and Harisree Ashokan. The romantic angle is provided by Kaavya Madhavan who is the daughter of an erstwhile servant of Balagangadharan. Joshy has made the best of what apparently is a low budget film.
