Streaming Smart: Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar is a crime thriller from an unusual perspective

Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar | Director: Shahad Nilambur | Cast: Parvathy Thiruvothu, Vijayaraghavan | Malayalam | Netflix (streaming post theatrical release)

It is tempting to call this Parvathy Thiruvothu’s Drishyam but Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar is much more than that—giving its heroine an agency usually denied in Indian cinema. Thiruvothu plays Aleena Abraham, a police officer replacing her late husband, who accidentally gets involved in a crime along with her three colleagues. She is a great admirer of ace police officer, Harris Meeran (Vijayaraghavan) who has written the ultimate crime procedural she follows religiously. There is no such thing as a perfect crime, says Harris, only a perfect investigation.

Having committed a murder, it is now up to Aleena to organise the cover-up and she does so using information from Haris’ book. Burying the body, cheating the lie detector, making short work of the bullet, and of the CCTV footage, she is always two steps ahead of her pursuers.

But the film is not merely about calculated risks, it is also about the humanity that keeps the four police officers together, from the young painter turned officer in love with a woman far above his station, the single officer hoping to marry the woman of his dreams, and the pregnant policewoman who is stricken by bouts of anxiety. Aleena sweats and struggles, but largely keeps her composure—steeling herself with a deep love for her daughter. The actor is excellent as a woman adept at keeping secrets and yet commanding enough to ensure the team’s loyalty. Thiruvothu’s characters are often natural born leaders who are willing to be vulnerable and open enough to seem scared but never not ready to act.