Officer On Duty Movie Review

 

Picture Courtesy: OnManorama

Ever had a candy that starts off really sweet but leaves a weird aftertaste by the time you're done with it? Officer on Duty kind of feels like that. The movie is genuinely engaging in theory and almost on-screen too. I have zero complaints about the performances or the team that put it together. In fact, the technical aspects are one of its biggest strengths—Jakes Bejoy’s music and the sound design by Sankaran A.S., K.C. Sidharthan, and Vishnu Sujathan play a crucial role in keeping the audience hooked, even when Jithu Asharef’s otherwise solid direction starts to falter slightly in the second half. Special mention to Roby Varghese Raj’s cinematography and Chaman Chakko’s editing—both do their job to perfection, elevating the film to another level.

So where does the problem lie? That cake goes to the script, courtesy of cop-turned-writer Shahi Kabir, with whom I have the same bone to pick as I did with his previous works like Ela Veezha Poonchira and Nayattu. He has this skill of portraying something that is undeniably wrong as, well, wrong—but then casually justifying comparatively smaller yet still problematic actions under the guise of past trauma or as a reaction to injustice. And Officer on Duty follows the same pattern. You’ll know what I mean when you watch it.

Picture Courtesy: Officer on Duty Trailer on Youtube

Performance-wise, from the leads to the supporting cast, everyone delivers. Kunchacko Boban, in particular, continues his streak of reinventing himself with layered, challenging roles—something that I feel isn’t talked about enough. He embodies the internal conflicts of a man, a father, and a police officer with such effortlessness that you almost forget you’re watching a performance. Then there’s Jagadeesh, whose career evolution has been nothing short of fascinating—his performances, much like his off-screen persona, keep getting better with each film. From Leela to Falimy and now Officer on Duty, he keeps proving he’s capable of so much more than what mainstream cinema once boxed him into. Priyamani doesn’t get anything particularly new to do here, but with what she’s given, she nails it as expected.

Picture Courtesy: Officer on Duty Trailer on Youtube

The antagonist gang—Vishak Nair (Christy Savio), Leya Mammen (Celine Joan), Aishwarya Raj (Anna Louis), Ramzan Muhammed (Shyam Babu), Vishnu G (Sathya Mithiran), and Amit Eapen—bring solid performances to the table, providing a compelling challenge to the lead. That said, their characterization also falls into the convenient mix of stereotypes—the privileged, drug-addicted group of youngsters from the infamous city of Bangalore. In a scene where the villain gang is shown partying in a pub, the guy sitting behind me let out a deep sigh before turning to his friend and saying, "Uvva, these movies just fuel the nonsense people back in Kerala already believe about us in Bangalore, when in reality, our weekends are mostly spent mopping floors and doing laundry after a soul-sucking week of work." You and me both, bro. #Relatable.

I think Jallikattu was the first movie I saw with the disclaimer, "Violence against women is punishable," and instead of feeling like a responsible filmmaking choice, it made me uncomfortable. Over the years, we've seen this kind of disclaimer function less as a deterrent and more as a free pass for films to push the envelope on violent content—just like the way the tobacco and alcohol disclaimers haven’t stopped their rampant on-screen presence. And now, violence—especially against women—has become a recurring motif in storytelling, often for shock value rather than genuine narrative necessity. Take Officer on Duty, for instance. There’s a scene early on where Harishankar is shown as a rough cop through an act of police brutality, which felt completely unnecessary. The film already has enough meat to establish the to establish the hardened nature of his character without resorting to that.

Over time, have we—as both audiences and filmmakers—become so desensitized to violence against women that it has almost become a storytelling cliché? A recent example of such unnecessary brutality was in Pani, which was widely discussed and even reportedly unsettled the lead actor. Explore that for yourself.

Lately, it feels like filmmakers are constantly trying to outdo each other in depicting violence on screen, even involving children to amplify shock value. Take the chain-snatching scene from a baby in RDX, or the disturbing sequences in Officer on Duty—both of which include violence against children, conveniently accompanied by the usual disclaimer: “Violence against children is punishable.” It almost seems like the industry is asking itself, What’s the next horrific thing we can show to make the audience feel even more disturbed?

It’s not that violence can’t be shown, but for heaven’s sake, learn the art of subtlety. And more importantly, portray the impact. Because as horrifying as these acts are, the aftermath is even worse. But that, of course, requires effort and sensitivity—who has time for that, right?

Picture Courtesy: Novo Cinemas

Anyway, I really hope the child actor who played Harishankar and Geetha’s (Priyamani) second daughter gets some proper emotional support because if she actually saw even parts of the violence in this movie, she’s going to need it. The filmmakers seem to have done their due diligence and consulted a psychologist to depict a panic attack accurately for the main lead, but they forgot to do the same when it came to showing the impact of trauma on children. In the film, the child witnesses not one but two life-altering traumatic events yet is shown rebounding within months as if nothing happened. Then again, who am I talking to? This will all get brushed aside under the usual "brilliantly made film with technical excellence" narrative.

Picture Courtesy: Officer on Duty Trailer on Youtube

So, in conclusion—this could have been a cautionary tale about the importance of men’s mental health, especially in ruthless and high-pressure careers like the police force and the military. But instead of handling it with nuance, the film falls back on routine stereotypes and shaky justifications for its characters' actions.

One thing's for sure—it will take a while to shake off the impact of this movie, both the good and the bad.