‘FIR’ movie review: Vishnu Vishal stars in a fast-paced, taut thriller

Triplicane, or Thiruvallikeni, is among the many most attention-grabbing neighbourhoods in Chennai. Filled with small lanes and bustling roads, the realm is legendary for 2 vital spiritual establishments: the Large Mosque, and the Parthasarathy Temple.

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They’re each vital worship locations for the Muslim and Hindu group within the metropolis.

It’s in Triplicane that actor Vishnu Vishal’s newest, FIR, begins. Irfan Ahmed, a gold medalist in Chemistry from IIT, works in a small agency, however is looking for gives. He retains attending job interviews, which invariably find yourself with the query: Are you spiritual? His mom works with the police, and his tryst with the police station is restricted to the time he brings meals for his mom. He has a gaggle of mates, a girlfriend who’s in a distinct metropolis, and is the quintessential Chennai teenager you’d meet on the street.

He’s Muslim and happy with that. This may very well be a somewhat small element in an individual’s life, however when he’s caught in what’s perceived to be a giant terror risk to town, what occurs?

Director Manu Anand’s FIR delves deep into the working of investigative businesses, that are looking out for a person, Aboobucker Abdullah, who poses a risk to the peace of the nation. So, who’s Aboobucker Abdullah and what’s his reference to the protagonist, Irfan?

FIR’s power and weak spot are someway the identical factor: its pace. With a number of cities like Chennai, Bangalore and Kochi being showcased inside a couple of minutes, this racy script may be a bit of powerful to observe for people who find themselves used to gentler, slower movies. Numerous characters get launched, and earlier than you’ll be able to register them, the movie strikes on to a different character, one other location. However the pace retains the viewer , which may nicely work in its favour within the theatres, that are discovering it onerous to attract audiences who’re used to consuming content material within the consolation of their properties on OTT platforms.

Vishnu Vishal has definitely grown as an actor in current occasions. Submit the thrilling Ratsasan, which was a beautiful theatrical expertise in 2018, he appears to have grow to be much more severe concerning the craft of cinema. As Irfan, he delivers a honest efficiency; one which efficiently conveys the flutter between ambition and anguish.

Gautham Menon will get a job that requires extra presence than nuance, and he does the job. To the director’s credit score, he additionally tries to showcase three feminine characters (performed by Manjima Mohan, Raiza Wilson and Reba Monica John)… that they get a minimum of one stable scene every augurs nicely for the movie. How all of them come collectively in their very own methods within the ultimate clarification, is among the many highlights of the movie.

Additionally serving to them are the technical division; Prasanna GK’s modifying, Arul Vincent’s cinematography and composer Ashwath’s rating, all upping the strain on display screen. Regardless of being a thriller, FIR additionally manages to throw in some highly effective moments, however may have performed nicely to keep away from some pointless over the-top components that appear to dilute its core premise within the first place.

FIR is presently operating in theatres