Corona papers is a riveting crime thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. It stars Shane Nigam, Shine Tom Chacko, Siddique and Jean Paul Lal in lead roles. The story revolves around a policeman’s service revolver that gets lost and triggers several events. It is an adaptation of Sri Ganesh’s Tamil film 8 Thottakal, which is inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog.
Corona Papers Story
After the epic failure of Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, director Priyadarshan decided to take a step back and make a straight thriller with Corona Papers. It stars Shane Nigam, Shine Tom Chacko, Gayathrie Shankar, Jean Paul Lal, Henna Reji Koshy and Siddique in prominent roles. This movie is a cat and mouse game between the police and thieves.
The story begins with a service revolver that goes missing from newbie Sub-Inspector Rahul’s first station. The gun later turns up in a bank robbery, and the investigation is on.
Despite the plot being quite predictable, the film manages to keep the audience engaged thanks to its fast-paced events and the performances of the cast. Siddique shines in particular, with his stern demeanour and impressive acting skills. The film also features some excellent music and cinematography. It is a must-watch thriller.
Plot
Corona Papers is a gripping police thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Although it does have some plot holes and contrivances, the film is still very entertaining. It also features excellent performances from Shane Nigam, Shine Tom Chacko, Gayathrie, Jean Paul Lal, Henna Reji, and Siddique. The cinematography by Divakar Mani is also impressive.
Priyadarshan avoids the unnecessary melodrama and humor typical of his movies, which allows him to focus on the story. His direction is one of the highlights of the film, and it helps to create a sense of tension throughout the movie.
The story of Corona Papers revolves around a rookie cop named Rahul who loses his service pistol and is suspected of involvement in a bank robbery. This leads to a series of thrilling twists and turns that keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The film’s plot is very intriguing, and the cast delivers solid performances. It is a refreshing change to see a Malayalam film with such a gritty tone.
Performances
Corona Papers is a slick and taut police thriller that has impressed moviegoers. While the film’s dubbing and some actors’ performance are disappointing, overall, this is a solid watch. Shane Nigam and Siddique’s performances are especially good.
The story revolves around a newbie cop Rahul’s quest to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of his service revolver. He soon realizes that the bullets from that gun are used in a bank robbery and a murder. The story is layered and interesting, and the director’s eye for scale and visual craft is apparent in the use of silhouette shots.
Priyadarshan brings his experience and expertise to the table, ensuring that the film stays focused on its core plot and doesn’t succumb to unnecessary melodrama or humor. He also avoids relying on the typical thriller twist, instead opting for an intriguing climax that will leave viewers guessing what happens next. Siddique is the standout performer in this film, displaying a unique blend of world-weariness and steely resolve. Sandhya Shetty’s characterization as the evil cop Gracie, however, doesn’t work and comes off as mediocre.
Direction
After helming 2021’s big-budget Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, writer-director Priyadarshan tried his hand at a smaller project with Corona Papers. The film is a thriller with a dark milieu that’s inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog. While it offers a few suspense scenes, the movie ultimately fails to keep audiences engaged with a convoluted plot.
As for the actors, the movie stars Shane Nigam, Shine Tom Chacko, Gayathrie Shankar, Jean Paul Lal, Siddique, Maniyanpilla Raju and Hannah Reji Koshy. Besides, PP Kunhikrishnan, who is known for his magistrate character in Nna Thaan Case Kodu, also makes his presence felt.
As for the direction, Priyadarshan has done a decent job in terms of creating the eerie atmosphere and some of the sequences. However, the film lacks the finesse that one has come to associate with his work. Cinematographer Divakar AS deserves praise for the apt frames that suit the film’s dark theme. Editing by Ayyappan Nair is taut and music by KP does well too.
Music
In early 2020, a sweeping coronavirus pandemic forced cultural venues and social hangouts into hibernation, relocating music life to sofas and balconies. Digital platforms enabled amateur and professional musicians to continue composing, playing, dancing to, rehearsing, improvising, discussing, exploring, and innovating musical products with explicit or implicit reference to novel COVID-19 and pandemic life circumstances. This phenomenon, referred to as “coronamusicking,” deserves descriptive research with an epistemologically open mindset, ideally liberated from traditional disciplinary boundaries.
The story of Corona Papers revolves around a cop who loses his service revolver, which in turn leads to a series of crimes. Priyadarshan’s gravitation towards a dark thriller is unsurprising given his earlier work revolved around a wronged man seeking vengeance (Nedumudi Venu in Vandhanam). Siddique acquits himself well as the cop with a world-weariness and steely resolve. Cinematography by Divakar Mani and editing by MS Aiyappan Nair are noteworthy, and the soundtrack by KP adds to the overall impact of the film. Among the supporting actors, Shine Tom Chacko is effective, while Gayathrie and Sandhya Shetty do decent jobs.
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