Anand Sreebala movie review: Arjun Ashokan film’s promising plot is ruined by amateurish execution

Anand, the son of former head constable Sreebala (Sangeetha), revered among her colleagues for drafting airtight FIRs, suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after witnessing his mother’s death at the age of twelve, 15 years ago. Though it doesn’t interfere with his daily life, he struggles deeply whenever the topic of his mother arises. What brings him comfort is the belief that his mother is still with him — even appearing to him as a manifestation of his conscience and moral guide, similar to how Dexter Morgan (Michael C Hall) from the American crime series Dexter sees his father, Harry Morgan (James Remar), as a fragment of his subconscious and a representation of his guiding code.

Anand’s girlfriend, journalist Sreebala (Aparna Das), hosts a true crime show on her TV channel and when she decides to cover Merin’s case, she brings Anand along, knowing his sharp observational skills will come in handy. While this does come true and Anand’s insights lead him to conclude that Merin did not die by suicide but was, in fact, murdered — a claim they present emphatically in their show — this prompts the police to reopen the case, and the department grows frustrated with Anand, which ultimately jeopardises his aspirations of joining the police force. While a police team led by actor Saiju Kurup’s character tries to close the case again as a suicide, Anand — guided by his mother’s memory, his girlfriend Sreebala and his mentor Issac (Siddique) — embarks on a parallel journey to secure justice for Merin.

Despite having a promising plot and a decent premise, Anand Sreebala is undermined by amateurish execution, both in its writing and filmmaking. While most investigation thrillers feature a fearless investigator who uncovers clues seemingly out of nowhere, Anand is quite the opposite. He is anxious, vulnerable and perpetually on the verge of a panic attack — traits that set the stage for an intriguing narrative. However, after establishing these unique aspects, the film quickly reverts to the formulaic tropes of a typical investigation thriller, with its distinctive elements appearing inconsistently, as if only at the makers’ convenience.

For instance, we first encounter his mother Sreebala when a person asks Anand about her. While this is an effective creative choice, which helps in informing the audience effectively that she exists only as a manifestation of his mind, the character is largely confined to this purpose throughout the film. She occasionally appears as a silent observer, merely hanging around Anand without contributing much to the narrative, thus squandering what could have been a compelling plot device.

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In the early parts of the film, Sreebala’s appearances are accompanied by an overly childish background score reminiscent of carnival carousel music, seemingly intended to underline that she ain’t real. Not only does this choice detract from the overall experience, it also gives the impression that the makers doubted the audiences’ ability to grasp her nature without such heavy-handed cues, thus belittling people’s intelligence. Although Sreebala occasionally plays a pivotal role by helping Anand piece together clues, writer Abhilash Pillai fails to fully utilise this concept he himself created, leaving it underdeveloped and almost meaningless.

This issue extends to other characters too, with many of them suffering from weak characterisation. While Anand’s girlfriend Sreebala is initially portrayed as intelligent, sensible and empathetic, her role diminishes as the story progresses, reducing her to little more than Anand’s assistant, performing tasks like making calls on his behalf or issuing warnings to him about the potential dangers in obvious situations.

Similarly, Issac, now relegated to a desk job due to a grave accident once in the line of duty, repeatedly mentions that he was once a brave officer but had to change after the “incident.” Yet, the film never elaborates on what this incident was, leaving its repeated mention feeling irrelevant and purposeless.

Another character with significant potential that falls victim to weak writing is Saiju Kurup’s senior cop, assigned to reinvestigate Merin’s death. While portrayed with shades of grey, pettiness and ego — balanced by sharp intelligence — the character had everything to be developed as a compelling obstacle in Anand’s journey. Unfortunately, he is reduced to little more than a vehicle for delivering dialogues. The moments leading up to the interval hint at the narrative heights the film could have achieved if the makers had explored this dynamic more thoughtfully. However, much like several other aspects of the story, Abhilash’s script leaves this too untapped.

Even as Abhilash’s writing falters, Vishnu Vinay only occasionally manages to elevate the film to redeemable levels. While he delivers an impressive effort for a debutant filmmaker, he struggles to inject a sense of uniqueness into the movie, despite its promising plot. The inconsistent aesthetics also become distracting as the story progresses.

What ultimately saves Anand Sreebala from complete failure are the performances, particularly Arjun’s standout portrayal of the titular role. Even when the narrative falters or the dialogues lack polish, Arjun’s controlled performance keeps the story engaging. He shines in a particularly emotional scene where he breaks down in front of his mother’s reflection, pleading with her not to leave him. This moment poignantly captures the emotional burden of unresolved grief and the isolating effects of mental health struggles, as Anand clings to solace in an imagined connection.

Despite her underwritten character, Sangeetha’s mere presence adds depth to the role and the movie as a whole, embodying Sreebala’s love for Anand. However, it’s disappointing to see a Kerala State Film Award-winning actor, celebrated for her impactful performances, reduced to a largely symbolic role. Aparna Das and Saiju Kurup also deliver solid performances but are underutilised, since their characters don’t provide them sufficient material to shine. Though their screen time is minimal, Aju Varghese and Azees Nedumangad leave a mark.

The real-life Mishel Shaji’s death in 2017 inspired the film. The News Minute reported that the police arrested a person named Cronin Alexander Baby, who was suspected to have been in a relationship with Mishel, on charges of abetment of suicide. Although the Crime Branch, which later took over the case, also concluded that her death was a suicide, Mishel’s family continues to believe otherwise. Earlier this year, they petitioned the Kerala High Court for a CBI probe, which was rejected in September, with the court instead directing the Crime Branch to address omissions in the case diary, as reported by The Times of India. Given that Anand Sreebala draws heavily from this case, its climax raises ethical concerns. By depicting Merin’s death as a murder and presenting certain characters as culprits who bear striking similarities to real-life individuals associated with Mishel, the film walks a fine line. Whether this can be justified as a “creative choice” or dismissed as a “fictional take on a real-life incident” remains a subject for debate.

On the technical front, Vishnu Narayanan’s cinematography is consistent and occasionally excellent, particularly during an action sequence, while Kiran Das’s editing complements the film well. However, Ranjin Raj’s music — both the OST and background score — is uneven throughout, ranging from disastrous to good at different points in the movie.

Anand Sreebala movie cast: Arjun Ashokan, Sangeetha, Aparna Das, Saiju Kurup, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Aju Varghese, Malavika Manoj, Indrans
Anand Sreebala movie director: Vishnu Vinay
Anand Sreebala movie rating: 2 stars