Kalamkaval review: Mammootty’s Cyanide Mohan turn powers a tight serial-killer thriller

While there were enough hints that the ‘Mega star’ of Mollywood was playing the antagonist against the cop essayed by Vinayakan, suggestions that his character was modelled on ‘Cyanide’ Mohan wouldn’t be confirmed by the makers. Yet, there are striking similarities in the modus operandi of Mammootty’s Stanley Das and ‘Cyanide’ Mohan that one must conclude that writer-turned-director Jithin K. Jose was indeed inspired to reinvent the serial killer on screen.

A parallel life

Kalamkaval is set in the early 2000s, mostly around Nagercoil and Kanyakumari — part of the erstwhile Travancore princely-state — in an era when technology was nascent and communication wasn’t as seamless it is today. When several women are found dead in washrooms after consuming cyanide in the regions bordering Tamil Nadu and across, Sub-Inspector Jayakrishnan (Vinayakan) is assigned to follow the trail, and he discovers a clear pattern to it.

The viewers are privy to the method adopted by Mammootty’s character to eliminate a few of his victims early into the film. Meanwhile Jayakrishnan — nicknamed “nathu” or owl within the police force — uncovers it the hard way, with the two narratives coinciding at the intermission, revealing a huge suspense at that very moment.

In stark contrast, Mammootty portrays a smooth-talking middle-aged man who drives around in a vintage Honda Accord, his neatly oiled jet-black hair complementing his predatory persona as he targets vulnerable women to fulfil his urges. There is a clear parallel with ‘Cyanide’ Mohan’s methods: luring women to nondescript lodges and following a set pattern for the murders after sexual intercourse. Meanwhile, he is also shown leading a parallel domestic life with his family.

A treat for Mammootty fans

‘Cyanide’ Mohan was a government teacher in coastal Karnataka, preying on several such women in the South Kanara region, until he was caught in 2009. The makers have shifted the theatre from the border regions of Kerala and Karnataka to Kanyakumari in the film. Ambu Vaidyan, of Kalpakavadi Inn, had recalled in a personal conversation how Jithin K. Jose had spent months in Alappuzha to piece together his screenplay for Kurup (2021), and one suspects that the writer-turned-director would have followed a similar exercise for Kalamkaval.

The writing credit is shared by Jishnu Sreekumar. Kalamkaval is fast-paced and there are too many women who come and disappear, falling into the trap set by Stanley Das, who goes by various aliases until the intermission.

Also read: Bazooka review: Mammootty’s experimental thriller is all style, no firepower

The film is a treat for Mammootty fans and for viewers who have long lamented his decision to take on several pointless projects over the past two decades. With Kalamkaval coming right after the brilliant Bramayugam in 2024, Mammootty’s recent evolution appears deliberate. Even his outing in the forgettable Bazooka earlier this year was experimental, although it may not have fully worked.

It may not be far-fetched to conclude that Mammootty has entered yet another phase of his career, like the latter half of the 1980s with KG George’s Mattoral and the mid-2000s with Rajamanikyam. If the reinvention in the late-80s salvaged his career, the post-2005 breakthrough in comedy — once considered his Achilles’ heel — had unintended consequences, culminating in several terrible (yet commercially-successful films) in its wake.

In a character role

Writing in a book published on KG George by DC Books, writer CV Balakrishnan who was also the scenarist for Mattoral (1988) recalls how Mammootty gatecrashed the set and pleaded with the director to cast him in the film to break the rut he had gotten into. This was before the release of a string of hits — Thaniyavarthanam, New Delhi, Manivathoorile Aayiram Sivarathrikal — that saved his flagging career at that stage.

The ace director duly cast the actor as the second lead (in a role originally meant for Murali) with veteran Karamana Janardanan Nair, and a string of critically acclaimed films such as Mathilukal, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Mrigaya, Sooryamanasam, Amaram, Padheyam, Vidheyan, Ponthan Mada, Sukrutham et al followed.

Also read: How Mammootty has reinvented himself with his power-packed performances

Over the years, the actor in Mammootty has been at his best playing negative characters — something he was reportedly averse to in his prime. From the raw portrayal of Captain Thomas in Koodevide (1983) to the feudal Bhaskara Pattelar in Vidheyan (1993), the menacing Murikkankunnath Ahmed Haji of Paleri Manikyam (2009) and the chilling CK Raghavan in Munnariyippu (2014), Mammootty always brought something novel to his negative portrayals. The spate of experimental roles (including Kaathal: The Core) in recent years might be an indication that the 74-year-young superstar is finally willing to essay meaty character roles.

And yet, he remains conscious of his stardom and his fans, as the left-field choice of Vinayakan over a regular hero such as Prithviraj — who was reportedly pencilled in originally — shows. Kalamkaval is bankrolled by Mammootty Kampany and distributed by Wayfarer Films, making it a complete ‘home production’ for the veteran superstar. Vinayakan essays his most significant role sinceKammattipadam (2016) here, and he rises to the challenge. The writers have neatly divided the film into chapters, and the ending leaves ample room for a sequel.