Multiple cat-and-mouse games play out in Suraj Varma’s heist movie Kolla (meaning robbery). The main ones are, of course, the thieves toying with cops and vice versa. The story has all the twists and turns one expects from a story by Bobby-Sanjay and more. Just as you settle into the story, there comes a twist out of the blue, then another, and another.
Kolla is a thriller-meets-police procedural, told from both perspectives: of the thieves and the cops chasing them. The police procedure part lags, some details were avoidable and could have helped keep the narrative tight. What sets the film apart from other heist movies in Malayalam is the woman mastermind - Annie. Interestingly, for a story that is about two women opening a beauty parlour and committing a robbery, there are very few women characters in the film.
It all looks harmless when two friends, Annie (Rajisha Vijayan) and Shilpa (Priya Varrier), come to a small town in Kerala to set up a beauty parlour. It is when Annie tells Shilpa, “don’t forget why we are here does” that the penny drops and we release all is not what it seems.
Rajisha Vijayan and Priya Varrier complement each other perfectly: the bold Annie is the foil for the timid Shilpa.
Kolla (Malayalam)
While the film’s first half introduces us to the players, their characters and their motivations, the action truly picks up a minute before the interval when a ‘suspect’ literally drops dead.
From then on the twists keep coming, the pivotal one being the thieves not knowing where the loot is stashed. Just about when the cops begin their hunt in earnest the film starts losing pace. The screenplay by Jasim Jalal and Nelson Joseph could have been tighter, especially since it is a Bobby-Sanjay story.
Kolla leaves one with many questions. Why this particular cooperative bank? What is the connection between Alencier’s character, Stephen and Annie’s father? Why is Annie so beholden to him? If Annie had a father who she loved, how did she and Shilpa end up in a shelter? One can’t help but wonder if the pressures of keeping the film short (to accommodate the demands of the OTT platform which acquired the rights?) led to chopping at the editing table.
The supporting cast does a great job. Kollam Sudhi who died in an accident earlier this week appears in a small role in the film. Alencier Lopez and Prashant Alexander deliver. One can’t help but wonder whether the latter had a more substantial part which was perhaps lost during editing. He disappears just as unexpectedly as he shows up.
Vinay Forrt is the cop, Inspector Farooq Rahman, who matches his wits with Annie and ‘cracks’ the case. Since Vinay has done more challenging roles, this cop role would have been a walk in the park for him. Music director Shaan Rahman also has a cameo as the Superintendent of Police.
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Pacy as the film is, told in an almost-taut two-hours plus run-time, the occasional lag had people reaching out for their phones. Given the potential of the story, the film is underwhelming. That said, it is paisa vasool (maybe not multiplex levels, though).
Kolla is currently running in theatres
