DNA Malayalam Movie
On the surface level, 'DNA' fulfils basic requirements needed for a suspense thriller. This T S Suresh Babu-directed film manages to create intriguing moments here and there though his creative endeavours lack consistent grip. The veteran director focuses on maintaining technical finesse in the narration but the stale and old-fashioned narration trigger the downfall of the movie. Even as the plot is not an out-of-the-box concept, the template of the genre is neatly set to an extent in the screenplay penned by AK Santhosh. At one stage, the film hardly guides the viewer to connect the dots but there are traits of predictability in the script after a certain point. However, with a slew of aerial shots and non-stop loud background score accompanying each scene, the events become a mentally taxing viewing experience.
The movie is embellished with heavy-loaded cinematic fripperies ignoring the sensibilities of a modern viewer. The presentation goes over the top as if an emphatic stress is vital in the proceedings. Here, Suresh Babu keeps adequate pace in the narration with racy shots and stylish action sequences. The action begins in Chennai where a drug mafia gang is busted by a police team that includes Kerala-born officers. Then the tale is shifted to Kochi bringing the life of radio jockey Lakshmi Narayanan, played by Ashkar Saudan and his colleague Hannah Alexander (Hannah Reji) to the centre stage.
Perhaps, the romance between Lakshmi Narayanan and Hannah is the worst episode in the tale as song sequences hinder the flow of the tale. Meanwhile, City Police Commissioner Rachel Punnoose (Raai Laxmi) and a team of officials including DYSP Anand Raj (Padmaraj Ratheesh) and Eldho (Irshad) are on the hunt for a serial killer. They grope in the dark following three murders and the case stands as a herculean task before them. 'DNA' is quite riveting and intriguing at this stage but the proceedings appear to be mediocre, leading us to the shores of de javu.
In this incoherent plot, performances too are not up to the snuff and actors rarely make an impact through their roles. As a protagonist, Ashkar Saudan is flexible in his action sequences despite lacking depth in portraying the character. In a prominent role, Raai Laxmi handles a heavy task to achieve. Her disastrous mien and lip sync struggle to elevate her appearance in the movie. In her comfort zone, Hannah Reji exudes a convincing outing by keeping justice to her assignment.
Visuals of Ravichandran are befitting to the mood of the flick apart from certain frames creating an eerie milieu. Johnkutty's editing could have been a tad precise especially the repetition of macabre scenes is good enough to trigger nauseating effect. Despite its technical finesse, the trait of 'DNA' is evident as an old-fashioned narrative film bookend with brimming loud BGM. It has a decent suspense thread but the cursory screenplay and melodramatic treatment let the film down. Despite the familiar tale, a restrained and tight narration would have brought out the real essence of it. This flick is a flawed attempt due to losing its narrative momentum and insisting too hard on the happenings on screen.
