Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran is someone who always challenges himself and tries to push boundaries in his performances. His tendency to experiment with genres enables him to showcase his superb acting chops, and the heist psychological thriller I, Nobody is part of this endeavour.
Director Nissam Basheer, who is known for Rorschach, a psychological thriller starring Mammooty, along with writer Sameer Abdul, follows suit with a similar theme in I, Nobody. In this film, he places a regular government employee in extraordinary circumstances, challenging him to wriggle out of a crime he didn’t commit.
Rajeevan (Prithviraj Sukumaran) is a middle-class government employee who resides in Thiruvananthapuram with his wife Meera (Parvathy) and two daughters. While at Vanchiyoor Bank one day, Rajeevan inadvertently gets drawn into a bank heist by the robbers, who take him hostage. In a car accident that ensues, the three robbers are killed, but Rajeevan escapes with minor injuries. The police, however, don’t find the stolen cash of Rs 17 crore and the gold jewellery in the van, and while Rajeevan is himself a victim in this crime, suspicion falls on him.
Thanks to the media, people begin to suspect that he has secretly stashed the stolen money. Rajeevan begins to be harassed by strangers under various circumstances to part with some of the money, though he vehemently claims innocence. In one instance, a group of school kids threaten him for money, while in another an auto driver tries to shake him down after an accident. Meanwhile, his already strained relationship with Meera breaks down further because of the heist, and she demands a divorce. So, who is responsible for the heist? Did Rajeevan really steal the money? What is the truth?
Director Nissam Basheer gives us a conventional whodunit but adds a new twist by showing how society rushes to condemn people without facts. Rajeevan just wants to sort out the issues in his marriage and lead a simplistic, happy life, but circumstances beyond his control-like the heist, slandering social media, and TV debates-push him against the wall. The director uses the screenplay to show us how people easily take rumours as the truth and punish victims.
The first half is quite slow, and the director lays the groundwork for the characters and shows us how an ordinary, mild-mannered Rajeevan finds his life turned upside down. As suspicion mounts, the film gradually charts Rajeevan’s transformation from a meek, submissive man into someone who decides he will no longer be passive and will fight back. Moving to the second half, we see Rajeevan take matters into his own hands as the police don’t seem keen on solving the crime. But it’s in the second half that the movie falters, as it takes the road most travelled. The final moments seem less impactful, though the action sequences are well executed. While the film begins with an interesting premise, the story then runs into an oft-seen one, which is not novel.
This is a film where Prithviraj has delivered one of his most understated performances ever. The actor has stripped away all traces of heroism and convincingly portrays a regular man who is overwhelmed by his circumstances. He portrays the fear and vulnerability with such quiet restraint and dignity that the audience is able to empathise with him and his ordeal wholeheartedly. Parvathy Thiruvothu lends incredible support as the wife who’s going through exhausting emotional turmoil and essays her role with aplomb. Their scenes together may be limited, but they are powerful. The other supporting characters, like Ashokan and Hashim Shahjahan, add value to the film.
Interestingly, the music by Jakes Bejoy in this film showcases numerous songs that are in Hindi and English (e.g., rap/techno). This seems to be an attempt to make the film more appealing (perhaps they have taken a leaf out of the Dhurandhar playbook).
Technically, the film is sound, but the editing by Ramees MB could have been tighter in the second half. The action, designed by Yannick Ben, Kalai Kingson, and Amith Jolly Bastin, stands out, while cinematography by Dinesh Purushothaman is par for the course.
I, Nobody has been titled to showcase how a regular man, a nobody, gets drawn into a crime and circumstances not of his making, simply by being present in the wrong place at the wrong time. This movie is not an edge-of-the-seat thriller but a slow burner in which Prithviraj shines.
