Masking and unmasking is the hallmark of any given thriller. Though touted to be a thriller, ‘Oru Second Class Yathra’ sets a very sedate pace, contrary to the usual thriller recipe. The ingredients are more or less the same - an unusual and unexpected villain, a wronged hero, the revenge, the chase and the justifications for retribution. ‘Oru Second Class Yathra’ also has an unlikely flavor, which is comedy, which makes the movie stand out.
The first half of the movie is replete with some genuine humor as we are introduced to two jailbirds Nandu (Vineeth Sreenivasan) and Maaran (Chemban Vinod) guarded by two police constables Jolly Kurien (Joju George) and Balagopal (Sreejith Ravi) on their journey from Kannur to Thiruvanathapuram Central jail in the second class compartment of Parashuram Express. The foursome is a study in contrast as Nandu is shown to be a simple village lad while Maaran is a bundle of funny antics. So are the two policemen, with their rivalry and squabbles.
Just as we wonder why Nandu has landed in this plight, we get a glimpse of his past through a flashback. His schooldays are shown, which is quite a stretch for the imagination as Vineeth turns 14. His life at Kannur with his parents played by Nedumudi Venu and Vanitha and his elder sister played by Nikki Galrani is shown. The story then takes on a turn as the shackled thieves manage to escape.
The story gets more intriguing as we get to hear Nandu’s story. The first half holds out much promise. With the second half, the thriller mode gets more pronounced, but becomes a bit of a lag as actions lack the punch. The climax is more toned down as we know who the villain is. Thereafter, we feel a Dryshyamesque mode as bodily violations, retribution, and closure forms the thread.
The actor who stands out is Chemban Vinod and his lovable rascal avatar stands out. Vineeth could have done better. Nedumudi Venu is as usual outstanding with his intense expression coming out just right. Nikki’s selection of this character is surprising, considering the screen time or emoting scope in the movie, which is way too less. Sreejith Ravi and Joju George are outstanding in their respective roles.
Directors Jexson and Rejis Anthony has done okay on their first outing and a more polished movie is expected from them in future. Cinematography by Vinod Illampally is quite good. Since thrillers require more punch, the editing seems a bit lax. Music is again quite apt but the background score could have been better considering Gopi Sunder’s oeuvre.
‘Oru Second Class Yathra’ has a novel theme, yet the execution could have been better. A bit more taut and crisp, with its first half- like narration in the second half too could have taken the movie far ahead. It is not a bad attempt and is very much a family movie and the subject of rape of a different nature is very relevant. Watch it without much expectation and you might be pleasantly surprised.
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