Lucifer is written by Murali Gopy and directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran (debut as director) with Mohanlal in the lead. It also has a dozen of other seasoned actors including Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Vivek Oberoi, Indrajith, Saikumar and Prithviraj himself.
The CM of Kerala PK Ramdas (Sachin Khandekar) dies leaving his party members in a tussle for power. His daughter Priya’s (Manju Warrior) second husband Bobby (Vivek Oberoi) hatches a plot and tries to keep the power by promising the party members with big funding through drug cartels. He also tries to bring Ramdas’s younger son Jathin (Tovino) from US as a dummy CM. But things don’t go as planned once Stephen Nedumpally (Mohanlal) enters the scene. Stephen who takes care of an orphanage and has been the most trusted person by PK Ramdas, turns out to be a pain to Bobby and Co.
The story is an age old one and If you refer earlier masala films made in Malayalam, you can still relate to the story line, which normally deals with second wife son or elder son who ran away as a kid and comes back to save the family. But what makes Lucifer different is the script and the lavish manner in which the film is presented. The films rests on the shoulders of Mohanlal and his screen presence. He menaces the role of Stephen Nedumpally with aplomb. Inspite of uttering very few dialogues (and real good ones), he captivates you completely through his eye contact, stylish and slow motion shots and really well choreographed stunts.
Vivek Oberoi as the greedy son-in-law is apt. Tovino has only few scenes but gets maximum claps. Indrajith’s role is not developed well. Manju warrior has to keep a grim face throughout and she does exactly that. Technically the film is perfect. The cinematography by Sujith Vassudev is top-class and a huge strength for the film. Background music is impressive and elevates the mass sequences. The initial scenes post the death of the CM is shot in a very grand manner.
The films starts of as a political thriller but then falls into a typical revenge template. The positives are also the negatives for the film. At some point you think if they have overdone the style and compromised the substance. The long item song in the second half before the climax was a pain to watch and was not required at all. Prithviraj’s character is very vague and could have been given more details. (Unless he is planning for a prequel to this film, which has every possibilities). Biblical references are a trend in Malayalam films recently and Lucifer is no exception. The film is also very long and could have been edited more tightly.
Lucifer is a good debut by Prithviraj as a director. Its a typical Mohanlal mass film which will satisfy his fans to the core and a decent entertainer for others.
Rating 3/5
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