Chess Malayalam Movie
Dileep makes an intelligent shift from the run of the mill comedy roles in Chess, his new release. Except for Runway and Lion, most films starring Dileep, had a considerable amount of crass comedy. In Chess, he is totally different, dropping his comedy image and assuming a rough and tough look with a couple of scars on his face to add to the effect. Make-up by Salim Kadakkatt is worth mentioning as it has taken away the comedian look from Dileep's face. The scar on his left eyebrow looks very genuine and is the same in each frame.
The film has the weary, worn out plot of a person taking revenge on people who ripped apart his family by killing his father and mother. But the treatment has a freshness about it. Debut director Raj Babu has to be applauded for the effort he has put in making a much over used plot into a scintillating thriller.
Dileep is an illegitimate son, who was later accepted by his father. He learns that his father was killed by the latter's brother-in-law and two of his trusted lieutenants to usurp his riches. His mother is burnt alive before his very eyes, and he himself is reduced to a mass of meat and hospitalized. Bhavana, his girl friend of yore, is a doctor working in the sane hospital. Under her care he recovers. The rest of the story is a brilliant cat and mouse game, with Dileep slowly eliminating each of the individuals responsible for the destruction of his family. The film is fast paced and has you at the edge of the seat most of the time.
Dileep carries the entire film on his shoulders, making Bhavana look rather redundant. Salim Kumar and Harisree Ashokan provide the comedy element. Berny Ignatius does a very forgettable song in the film. But that's not the case with the background score rendered by Rajamani, which adds tempo to the pacy narration. Mafia Sasi does some believable action choreography. In all, a good debut effort by Raj Babu.
