Traffic (2011)

"Traffic" is an impeccable experience which makes you edgy to the seats, haunt you and crawls right in to your skin and says there. Director Rajesh Pillai has framed a great theme inspired from some real life incidents into a piece of art. The script writers Bobby & Sanjay had done an awesome work with the script makes it the real hero of the movie. The casting was as perfect as it could be and each of them had played their roles so amazingly. The first of its kind type of multi story line narration in Malayalam cinema would give a new start to long awaited changes in the industry.Overall, Traffic is that one unique journey which when seen makes us realize those aspects of our life which we have always knowingly or unknowingly ignored. For an Instance we may feel that we are traveling in that Scorpio van with them.

Yes the movie is actually a new ray of hope in Malayalam movie with its fresh story and narrative. Talents like Rajesh Pillai needs to be encouraged at a time when there is a huge black hole in the terms of fresh story. We have been treated with reused story line. Its just like saying as old wine in new bottle. Bobby and Sanjay also needs to be encouraged for treading a new path rather than using the old formulas. It also needs to be encouraged the fact that the movie doesn't boast of big names in the industry.Talented actors such as Sreenivasan and Sai Kumar had lived up to expectations. Kunchako Boban too in his new avatar has been constantly been improving with each releases. Anoop Menon and Asif Ali performance also needs a special mention.The story interludes into different aspects of different people in different spectrum's of life on a particular day and how at one point of the story these different people join for a common goal. This is actually the highlight of the movie where it was able to bring together the feelings and complexities in emotions of different people in different spectrum's of Life Sidharth Shankar (Rahman) is getting ready for the release of his new film. On the same day, Traffic Constable Sudevan (Sreenivasan) joins back on duty, after being suspended from service for taking bribes. The day is special for Dr. Abel (Kunchako Boban) who is celebrating his first wedding anniversary. Raihan (Vineeth Sreenivasan), an aspiring television journalist, is starting his first job with an interview with Sidharth Shankar the very same day.On a particular day at a crowded traffic junction in Kochi, Raihan and Rajeev (Asif Ali), traveling in a bike is fatally hit by a speeding car at the signal. Raihan was all set to interview the superstar, Siddharth Shankar. Also at the junction, in another car, was the surgeon Dr. Abel.Raihan goes into comma and is declared brain dead although he is kept alive using ventilator. Meanwhile, Siddharth's ailing daughter's condition becomes worse and she urgently needs a heart transplant. At first Raihan's parents does not agree to take their son of the ventilator and donate their son's heart but Rajeev and Raihan's girlfriend persuades them into it. Now that the heart is available, the problem was with transporting it from Kochi to Palakkad. No chartered flights or helicopters were available and so the heart has to be taken by road. Someone has to drive the 150 kilometers in under two hours during the rush traffic.City Police Commisoner Ajmal Nazar (Anoop Menon) is asked to carry out the mission. He initially refuses considering the complexity and risk involved in the mission. But finally he heeds to the persuasion of Dr.Simon D'souza (Jose Prakash). Sudevan, being an experience driver who has driven as an escort for ministers, volunteers to be the driver of the Jeep because he wanted to regain the name he lost due to the bribe incident. Accompanying them on this mission is Dr Abel and Rajeev.Everything goes smoothly for sometime. But at a point the police team loses contact with the vehicle and it mysteriously disappears. Later it was understood that before the mission commenced, Dr Abel had hit and run his wife when he discovered her affair with his best friend. Abel tries to sabotage the mission in an attempt to escape, but Sudevan and Rajeev manages to convince him to save the girl's life. All goes well and they reach the hospital in time to save the girl's life.I would give 8 out of 10 for this movie for its freshness in thought and the attempt to convert it into a watchable movie without the usual gimmicks of heavily invested movies. Thumps up for all those behind the movie and hope to be treated with more of such movies in future

Rajesh Pillai's traffic has got it's unique place in the Malayalam movie history(so far)considering the type of plot it handles and mode of narration adopted.The essence of the story is based on real events happened in Chennai.The plot revolves around (most of the time) the events happening between morning and evening on a particular day. Super star Sidharth Shankar(Rahman) is on a desperate run for a donor for his daughter's heart transplantation,Raihan(Vineeth Sreenivasan) an aspiring journalist is on his way to office, Traffic Constable Sudevan(Sreenivasan)is on the first day of duty after suspension and Dr. Abel Tharyan(Kunchako Boban) is test driving his dream,a car!!These 4 strangers are connected through the string of fate.How???that is the rest of the story. This movie adopted a non-linear method to tell the whole story going back and forth on the time line,during the whole movie.but the screenplay is so solid that the spectator never looses the grip on the story.The director and editor is so keen on keeping the viewers on edge of their seats most of the time.

Rajesh R Pillai with is his second film in malayalam industry after his debut film hridayathil sookshikkan has given something memorable to the audience of Kerala. Though the film has strong similarities to many other Hollywood films, we cannot say that it is a copy. The film is set on a usual urban day at Kochi. We have 4 parallel stories in this movie and the 4 of them gets mixed together after a tragic accident occurs to one of them at a crowded junction in Kochi. The 4 main lead actors are Sreenivasan, Rahman, Kunchacko Boban and Vineeth Sreenivasan. All the actors have given a strong performance and a special mention to Asif Ali. The script looks solid enough to make the film contest for the highest grossing malayalam movies of this year. I strongly believe that movies like these will certainly lift malayalam cinema industry from its current crisis and will help build a unique era the industry haven't witnessed before. I would give the film 8.7 out of 10 (since IMDb doesn't allow that, I would give it a 9). Just go for it and make this movie a hit!!!