Collector (2011) - Malayalam Movie Review
Collector is a 2011 Malayalam political action thriller film directed by Anil C. Menon and starring Suresh Gopi in the lead role. The film revolves around Avinash Varma, the District Collector of Ernakulam, who takes on the corrupt and powerful elements in the city. The film was dubbed in Telugu with the same title.
The film was released on July 15, 2011 and received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. The film was praised for its production values, cinematography, and Suresh Gopi's performance, but criticized for its clichéd plot, weak screenplay, and lack of originality. The film was a moderate success at the box office, collecting about 5 crores from Kerala.
Plot Summary
Avinash Varma (Suresh Gopi) is an honest and upright IAS officer who is appointed as the District Collector of Ernakulam. He soon realizes that the city is under the control of John Williams (Adithya Menon), a ruthless real estate businessman who has the support of the City Police Commissioner George Mathew (Baburaj), the Mayor Sethulakshmi (Mohini), and some corrupt ministers and officials. Avinash decides to take on Williams and his cronies, and expose their illegal activities.
Avinash is aided by his brother Mahendra Varma (Nedumudi Venu), a retired army officer, Revathy (Yamini Sharma), an ACP who is in love with him, Arundhati (Lakshmi Sharma), a social activist who runs an orphanage, and a few honest and sincere government officers. He also has the backing of the Chief Minister (Janardhanan), who trusts him completely.
Avinash faces many challenges and threats from Williams and his gang, who try to eliminate him by various means. He also has to deal with his personal issues, such as his estranged wife Gouri (Gouri), who wants a divorce from him, and his mother (Kaviyoor Ponnamma), who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Avinash manages to overcome all the obstacles and bring Williams and his associates to justice. He also reconciles with his wife and takes care of his mother.
Cast and Crew
The film was directed by Anil C. Menon, who had previously directed films like Ben Johnson, Rahasya Police, and Drona 2010. The film was produced by V. V. Sajan and Abdul Azeez under the banner of A Qube Release. The music was composed by Reghu Kumar, who had worked with Suresh Gopi in many films like Ekalavyan, Commissioner, The King, and Bharathchandran I.P.S. The cinematography was done by Manoj Paramahamsa and Gunasekharan, while the editing was done by V.T Sreejith.
Critical Reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. Veeyen of nowrunning.com gave a negative review and said, "Collector fits into the socio-political thriller genre in Malayalam films to the 'T'. The film tries to speak a lot, but the fact is that not many are in a mood to listen. For, we have seen it all" and gave 1.5 stars out of 5. Indiaglitz gave a favorable review and said, "The highlights of the movie are the brilliant production values starting from its awesome title graphics to excellent cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa. Some of the dialogues in the former half and climax are indeed interesting, though that is not the case with the entire movie."
Box Office Performance
The film was released on July 15, 2011 in about 70 screens across Kerala. The film had a decent opening, collecting about 1.5 crores in its first week. The film faced stiff competition from other releases like Salt N' Pepper, China Town, and Christian Brothers. The film had a steady run for about three weeks, and collected about 5 crores in total from Kerala. The film was also released in some overseas markets like UAE, UK, and USA, where it had a moderate response.
Trivia
- The film was initially titled as Collector Mahatma, but was later changed to Collector.
- The film was Suresh Gopi's comeback film after a gap of two years. He had last acted in Rashtram in 2009.
- The film marked the debut of Yamini Sharma, a model-turned-actress from Mumbai, who played the role of Revathy IPS.
- The film was dubbed in Telugu with the same title and released in 2012.
- The film was inspired by several real-life incidents and personalities, such as the land mafia in Kochi, the illegal encroachment of wetlands, and the role of IAS officers in fighting corruption.
References
- [Collector - A socio-political thriller]
