Identity: This Trisha-Tovino thriller with clever ideation is pulled down by the layering
The detailing of the main character of Identity that begins in the opening scenes of the film does not really get over until it ends, two and a half hours later. Haren is introduced as a boy with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), growing up into a bit of a recluse, living with his two sisters in an apartment building. Tovino Thomas looks and plays the part, allowing minimal emotion to cross his face, revealing bits and pieces of Haren, a little at a time. The movie, coming from the team of Forensics, another thriller led by Tovino, more or less follows a similar formula, with a convoluted plot full of twists and turns. All the layering is however not only unaffecting, but reduces the characters to cinematic stereotypes. Anas Khan and Akhil Paul, the writer-director duo, have clearly put a lot of work into the script, peppering it with medical conditions that could decide the fate of a criminal case. Trisha, playing Alisha, a witness in a crime scene, has such a condition. Shammi Thilakan becomes the convenient character, playing a doctor on the spot, who can identify Haren’s OCD and Alisha’s condition. The writing that has gone into Tovino’s character is interesting at first, when the man who talks little suddenly shows a taste for sketching, drawing suspects from descriptions. The first ‘shock’ elements in the script also add a nice touch, like when Haren ends up sketching his own face from a description. There is some clever ideation by the writers. Only, they take it too far with the plot twists, perhaps compelled by a need to keep surprising the viewer. In their scurry to fit in all the many elements, the directors leave behind loose ends. Even with the many characters the story revolves around – the cops, the villains, the witnesses and the family of Haren – the suspicion keeps slipping between two sides. Alisha’s witness protector, a Bengaluru police officer, is played by Vinay Rai, and Vishak Nair plays her associate. A shorter but crucial role is also played by Arjun Radhakrishnan. It is a pity that Haren’s sisters, one of them played by Archana Kavi, have little to do even though the younger one has an impact on the plot. Even Trisha is limited to a supporting character who happens to be in dangerous spots without scope for more performance. Tovino and Archana keep their parts in check, and Aju Varghese, playing a senior cop, is a natural. Some of the other performances appear pepped up, the suggestive music and the rich costumes and scornful faces making a caricature of villains and heroes. Mandira Bedi makes a surprise entry, looking stylish and speaking in Lena’s voice, but with little more to do than aid the villain. After a point you stop counting the characters — Major Ravi pops up from somewhere, somewhere else stands Dhruvan, and in a third room, there is Sujith Shanker. It’s not that they weren’t fitting for the parts, but the script simply could not accommodate all of them justly. To top it all, you have got airplane stunts. While it would be unfair to not appreciate their ideation, if the writers had cut it down heavily and put on paper only what was necessary, Identity would have fared a lot better. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.
THE detailing of the main character of Identity that begins in the opening scenes of the film does not really get over until it ends, two and a half hours later. Haren is introduced as a boy with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), growing up into a bit of a recluse, living with his two sisters in an apartment building.
Tovino Thomas looks and plays the part, allowing minimal emotion to cross his face, revealing bits and pieces of Haren, a little at a time. The movie, coming from the team of Forensics, another thriller led by Tovino, more or less follows a similar formula, with a convoluted plot full of twists and turns. All the layering is however not only unaffecting, but reduces the characters to cinematic stereotypes.
Anas Khan and Akhil Paul, the writer-director duo, have clearly put a lot of work into the script, peppering it with medical conditions that could decide the fate of a criminal case. Trisha, playing Alisha, a witness in a crime scene, has such a condition. Shammi Thilakan becomes the convenient character, playing a doctor on the spot who can identify Haren’s OCD and Alisha’s condition.
The writing that has gone into Tovino’s character is interesting at first, when the man who talks little suddenly shows a taste for sketching, drawing suspects from descriptions. The first ‘shock’ elements in the script also add a nice touch, like when Haren ends up sketching his own face from a description.
There is some clever ideation by the writers. Only, they take it too far with the plot twists, perhaps compelled by a need to keep surprising the viewer. In their scurry to fit in all the many elements, the directors leave behind loose ends.
Even with the many characters the story revolves around – the cops, the villains, the witnesses and the family of Haren – the suspicion keeps slipping between two sides. Alisha’s witness protector, a Bengaluru police officer, is played by Vinay Rai, and Vishak Nair plays her associate. A shorter but crucial role is also played by Arjun Radhakrishnan.
It is a pity that Haren’s sisters, one of them played by Archana Kavi, have little to do even though the younger one has an impact on the plot. Even Trisha is limited to a supporting character who happens to be in dangerous spots without scope for more performance.
Tovino and Archana keep their parts in check, and Aju Varghese, playing a senior cop, is a natural. Some of the other performances appear pepped up, the suggestive music and the rich costumes and scornful faces making a caricature of villains and heroes. Mandira Bedi makes a surprise entry, looking stylish and speaking in Lena’s voice, but with little more to do than aid the villain.
After a point, you stop counting the characters — Major Ravi pops up from somewhere, somewhere else stands Dhruvan, and in a third room, there is Sujith Shanker. It’s not that they weren’t fitting for the parts, but the script simply could not accommodate all of them. To top it all, you have got airplane stunts.
While it would be unfair to not appreciate their ideation, if the writers had cut it down heavily and put on paper only what was necessary, Identity would have fared a lot better.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.
