‘Innale Vare’ movie review: Jis Joy’s latest aspires to be a dark and intelligent thriller, but fails on both counts

The hostage drama, starring Asif Ali, Nimisha Sajayan, Antony Varghese, is filled with so many plot holes that it is exasperating

Early on in Innale Vare, young film star Adhi (Asif Ali) is shown refusing to complete the dubbing of a film he had acted in a couple of years back. The producer pleads with him, even threatening to commit suicide, but Adhi remains adamant, calling the film an outdated work which will not do any good for his career. By the time Innale Vare ends, one is left wondering whether we were watching the film that the young star refused to complete!

The theme is not by any means outdated, and has all the makings of an engaging techno-thriller, atleast on paper. Here is an arrogant star, who is drowned in debts, yet his big fat ego makes him talk down to a businessman who offered him crores for acting in a toilet cleaner advertisement, and his insensitivity blinds him to the sufferings of the producer. On the personal front too, he is entangled in complicated relationships, which could ruin his career. But the tables turn on him when two people take him hostage and uses his phone as a perfect tool for identity theft.

But, from the moment he is trapped, one can guess the motives of the people involved in it. More surprising than the twists in the film is the fact that Jis Joy, known for his feel-good outings with their bright colour tones, has directed this supposedly "dark" film. At least going by the colour tones, it is quite dark. Scriptwriter duo Bobby-Sanjay seeks to explore the shadier side of the rich and the famous, merging it with what partly looks like a cautionary tale on how technology in the wrong hands can prove to be disastrous.

The duo who takes the star hostage also does not turn out to be virtuous souls, whatever their intentions might be. Although their acts seem to be forced by their dire situations, they are also shown as remorseless and unmoved even by the collateral damages of their actions. It almost looks like a fight to the finish between them and the star, with each side trying to do everything possible to outwit the other. Yet, this is a Jis Joy film, in which there are limits to evilness and everyone gets painted white by the end of it all, whatever their past actions might be.

The climax is supposed to shock us, but as said earlier, one can see it from miles away. The hostage sequences — the centrepiece of the film — are hardly engaging, except for the parts where the captors use his phone to create an impression to the outside world that he is free and having a good time. It might seem far-fetched but it points at the dangerous possibilities. Otherwise, the whole hostage drama is filled with so many plot holes that it is exasperating. Innale Vare aspires to be a dark and intelligent thriller, but fails on all counts.

Innale Vare is currently streaming on SonyLIV