Kammattam

Samuel Umman, a businessman involved in real estate, is killed in a road accident. Antonio George, entrusted with the case, smells something fishy. An investigation into Samuel’s life leads him to a confidante, Francis. He unearths an alleged loan scam in connection with a local cooperative bank. A thug Shaji, Samuel’s own son Ebin, and a few bank employees are also under the scanner. It’s Sudev Nair and Arun Sol, who enjoy bulk of the screen-time in the show. Sudev’s past appearances in both positive/negative roles work in favour of his casting, though Arun gets better scope to deliver a portrayal with space for histrionic talents. Akhil Kavalayoor, Ajay Vasudev, and Kalfan have one-note roles, and they deliver okayish performances. The women hardly have any prominence and get to make much impact.

In Shan Thulasidharan’s frantically paced Kammattam (Coinage), not a minute is wasted to push us into the world of crime. A man named Samuel (Jeo Baby) has been struck down by a moving car, and it’s clear, right from the word go, that this “accident” was very much intentional. A police officer named Antonio (Sudev Nair) is deputed to investigate. Within the first 10 minutes, the crime, the world around and the people involved have all been established with reasonable efficiency. Samuel is said to have had a chequered past, and this makes him susceptible to almost everyone around him, including close family. The red herrings are laid out with similar swiftness, and by the end of the first episode, we’re left with a handful of suspects, each with enough reason to have committed the crime(s).