A Film Review...TRAFFIC

Directed by Rajesh Pillai

Written by Bobby and Sanjay

An accident occurs in a busy traffic signal at Ernakulum. A young man is critically wounded. At the hospital, the doctors proclaim that there is no chance for him to escape. At the same time, a 13 year old girl, is lying critically wounded at a hospital in Palghat. She needs a heart transplant. The question comes to the parent’s of the boy – shall we take his heart out while he is still alive to save the girl? The film does very well there to pose this dilemma and Saikumar as the boy’s father gives a heart warming performance. But then the director kills the plot by not showing us how and why the father finally gave in to the pressure. Over telephone the news comes across that he agreed. That change would have been nice, if I could see it. Ok.. the plot’s done and now we come to the major part of the movie – how do we transport this heart to Palghat from Ernakulum within 1 ½ hours? The stage is set for a thriller and from then on… the film falls flat. There is nothing thrilling and no hair rising moments to culminate. Each and every situation after that is so contrived to make the whole fascinating thrill look like a stroll in the park. At the end of the film, all you would want to ask – hey! What was the big deal?

I have some very serious questions to pose… I don’t know whom I am asking this and I don’t know who will answer it… yet…

• Why didn’t the heart be transported in an ambulance with an escort police vehicle?

• Why do we need someone like Sreenivasan to drive that Scorpio… just to make him a hero?

• When Joseprakash, a senior doctor and the chairman of Lakeshore hospital, tells the police commissioner that, if the police are not taking the responsibility, there are “chunakkutty (smart boys) ambulance drivers around” why only tell - why not use them?

• If there are ways inside Puthukad forest, or bylanes through which one can cover the distance between Ernakulam and palghat in 1 hour and 15 minutes, then why are we really complaining about bad roads and traffic congestions?

I feel the only thing we didn’t do in the travel here, is to stop the vehicle and sing a song… that was only thing left.

Now, in cinema you shouldn’t be asking logical questions… but I want to understand that this is serious cinema and there is life and death involved and if the rest of the crowd including police officers and doctors feel the whole thing logical then these questions need to be answered. Ofcoruse, also edach and every review that I read have heaped praise on the film… I am really disappointed to know that film criticism in Malayalam cinema is really lacking and that in turn makes for really lackluster cinema too.

The whole plot of Dr Abel and his sister and the problems from there on, is so much forced that we are asked to believe and empathize for characters. I thought may be the other way round, the heart coming for the boy would’ve made more interesting as we didn’t see anything of the girl to feel and empathize for her life. I felt for Saikumar, his wife and son… the only properly written characters.

As a film reviewer, one is not supposed to give away the plot points and story... but please don't mind this... there are no spoilers... everyone knows how its going to end... there is no suspense... you can watch it even after you read this. Its my point of view.

I was extremely disappointed with the film, because I heard quite a lot of good things about it and I wanted to see it, enjoy it… but I was really disappointed.

I can give it only a “Fair” rating - 2 Stars **