What a start to 2024 and this is yet another feather in the cap for Malayalam film industry. A kick ass debut from Anand Ekarshi which has scaled new heights in terms of creative writing, directing and acting. Its a superb example of how to create a strong, necessary and refined product.
The story focuses on a theater troupe of twelve men and a woman , a success celebration turning into a fateful night. What follows is a closed chamber examination of what, why and how it happened. How will you react if the truth is inconvenient and how men , women approaches forms the crux of this smart narration.
The allegations itself gets challenged, biases being formed and what you witness for next 1.5 hrs is male conditioning, prejudices and judgments. Every one has a strong view point but how they express is often for their own merit. The argument and counter arguments are razor sharp. The whole premises questions the nature of human beings, and whether or not there is any redemption to be found in their behavior. There is a super portion in which how all in agreement changes in a flip of a second.
The lone warrior Zarin Shihab is a classic example of hope and courage. How she comes out of the shell is a performance worth watching. In a way, the 12 men reflect little bits of us and our own humanity. Its like bending the truth to suit our needs. The climax is riveting and its one of the best intelligent, hard-wired non preachy messaged Malayalam movie i have seen in recent past. Dont make the language barrier excuse not to watch.
Verdict - 4/5(A bold statement)