The challenge SN Swamy faced while writing CBI5 is not in Malayalam, it is the biggest challenge faced by a screenwriter in any language films.
Thiruvananthapuram, First Published May 1, 2022, 1:21 PM IST
Five films in 34 years, with a lead actor repeating the same character and the same director and screenwriter combination. Mammootty’s CBI official Sethuramayya is an extraordinary personality on the Indian screen. What makes this franchise different is that another generation that was not born when the first film, CBI Diary, was released is now in theaters to watch the fifth film in the series (CBI 5). CBI 5 The Brain is coming 17 years after the release of Nerariyan, the fourth film in the series. During this period, Malayalam cinema underwent many changes, both technically, visually and in terms of storytelling. CBI5’s curiosity was aroused by the success of SN Swamy and K Madhu in the re-emergence of Sethuramayya, an iconic character familiar to all Malayalam film lovers. And the excitement of seeing Sethuramayya again as a contemporary was the factor that created the huge pre-release hype in the audience.
The challenge faced by SN Swamy while writing CBI 5 is not in Malayalam, it is a big challenge faced by a screenwriter in any language films. The challenge is to memorize to the audience the similarities in the structure of the previous four films in this franchise, including the real culprit who is revealed only through a climax twist by pretending to be someone else. It also has the responsibility of satisfying a generation that watches national and international movies and web series – especially thrillers – through OTT platforms. The screenwriter has succeeded, despite his hard work, in setting the contemporary storyline of technological advances. Also, Mammootty’s influence as Sethuramayya is the mainstay of the film.
K Madhu’s film is based on the nostalgia of the audience of the CBI series. Shyam’s background music alone is enough for any audience to remember the many moments Iyer created on screen. In addition, rare scenes from previous films go through various stages of storytelling. The director has been able to effectively blend the old and the new in the cast as well. Along with Mammootty, Sai Kumar and Mukesh, Jagathy Sreekumar is the only one from the previous films in the series. The plot of the movie is basket killing by SN Swamy at the same time as the movie was announced. Sethuramayya and his team from the CBI, now based in the Delhi office, are coming to look for them. CBI 5 is moving forward with the unpredictability that follows.
At times, the director does not succeed in keeping the two – and – a – half hour long and multi – character film engaging. But Mammootty’s amazing screen presence in the film can be afforded. The design he gave to the character through mannerisms from the first part continues to be subtle in the fifth coming. The movie also reminds us that we have never seen such a gentle Mammootty character anywhere. Sai Kumar as DySP Satyadas and Mukesh as Chacko get applause but Jagathy Sreekumar is the surprise kept by CBI5. Jagathy has been portrayed as Vikram in the last four films. The screenwriter has brilliance in the way this character is portrayed. Seeing the beloved again as a character in such a film is also an emotional experience for the audience.
The background music for the film was composed by Jacques Bijoy without hurting the background music created by Shyam but with the overall soundtrack. Before the release of the fifth installment of the most popular film franchise in Malayalam, the cast and crew had reacted very cautiously. They were careful not to have an over hype but it came up naturally. The challenge for the line-up was to keep the audience’s love for the series intact. CBI5 is the result of their positive response to that challenge.
Last Updated May 1, 2022, 1:21 PM IST
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