What do you get when 2 pros come together, its a classic movie, with very little noise. I never knew that Ramu was making a film with Nana in the direction of one of his many disciples, anyway Amin Shimit is the director this time, and he has done a great job.
Ab thak chappan is the story of Nana (Sadhu) who is a heartless, duty bound police officer who is the best encounter specialist, or should we say the best legal hit man, Sadhu knows no judgment, he kills on orders. he has a group of aides who remain in the main part, all along the movie, one Shukla, is the envious and bad guy of this group. The departments fight is against two groups of underworld Dons, one is Rajendra and the other is Zameer, Rajendra is just used as a imaginary figure all along the play, Zameer is the don who operates Mumbai from Malaysia(somewhere there).
Sadhu and his group keep tackling both gangs men, but it is Zameer who is in constant touch with Sadhu over the phone, he threatens, offers bribe and pleads with Sadhu, the way Sadhu talks on phone, one would feel he was talking to his childhood friend who ran away and became a don, but this is something new, the dialogues are really good between the two, the line where Sadhu asks if Zameer wants to talk to Revathi, (Revathy plays Nanas wife, a loving wife). The way she takes it easy explains how a police mans life is.
Things turn murkier when the higher official with whom Nana has been working for more than a decade retires and a new DSP moves in(Jeeva) He poses invisible hindrances in Nanas work. In the meanwhile there is a new CI who joins the team, he builds a great relationship with Nana, he is full of admiration at the way Sadhu operates, he develops instant hate towards Shukla who is very jealous of Nana and his rapport with the team. We wish that the director depicted the relation a bit closer, but the director did a great job in only taking care of Sadhu and not Nana.
The notorious Jaggadish of Rajendra gang who is a renowned sharp shooter comes to visit his ailing mother in Mumbai; Sadhu sets out for him but receives different orders this time that he bring Jaggadis alive. The team succeeds in seizing Jaggadish but Jaggadishs mother gets killed by a police bullet. Jaggadish is helped out by his gang near the court, Revathy is killed that night by an unknown person, Zameer who is in constant touch with Nana informs that it was Jaggadish who had done that, things get really bad for Sadhu when he resigns over a rift with the DSP and then is accused of killing a Cooperator.
An arrest warrant is issued against Sadhu, the rest of the story is all about how Sadhu solves the mystery and gets back onto the boat, the story till now is taken in a very documentary like feel, but it is a must that the director must end the story so, he goes into the more cinematic climax. the climax is a nerve gripping conversation between Sadhu and Zameer, who rescues Sadhu and gets him to his stronghold in Malaysia. I dont want to narrate what happens in between them and spoil your movie experience. So check it out...
There are a few nerve whacking conversations in the movie which would make you feel tense to the bit, Amin has done a great job, in taking care that he doesn’t give any place to emotions, the only line Sadhu wants to tell his son at the end is that he is doing his duty. That is probably how it is for a person who had shot 56 at point blank range, or near about.
Nana is great, he is apt for the character, his supporting cast is great, you never feel like someone is acting, thats the great skill of acting. Hrisita has a small role as Jatins fiancee, Revathy did a good job as Sadhus half, Jeeva looks his corrupt self, one more character that has been greatly enacted is Shuklas, you feel he is really bad and really are terribly concerned about what he may do to Sadhu towards the end part.
Ramu needs be congratulated once again for making such a bold movie, hope his trend of making movies without songs catches up, ala Hollywood.
Finally I would say, Ab tak chappan is not something you will fall in love with, or watch it twice, its a good movie with some terrific performances by the cast and tight direction from Amin. If you want to watch a movie with a family this is not the one you want to, but for Ramu, for Nana, for Amin, go for it...........