Salute (2022)

When Rosshan Andrrews (boy, the extra letters still baffle me!) and Bobby-Sanjay team up for a police procedural, expectations are pretty high. That's primarily due to their excellent previous outing - Mumbai Police - which was a gripping investigative thriller with new shades and broke certain conventions around the good-guy-bad-guy trope. Its unpredictable twist was one of the core winning components, taking actor Prithviraj to greater heights. Now, let's get back to Salute, the Dulquer Salmaan staaarrrer (sorry, even the keyboard secretly tells me to add extra letters).

I don't want to give away much of the plot here, but we'll discuss certain elements that I liked and disliked. Let's start with the downers first. An issue that I've had with almost every Bobby-Sanjay movie is the presence of artificial-sounding dialogues in a realistic setting. The same goes for Salute too, where some lines sound way off. Another downer is how the screenplay wastes many characters (and thereby, the well-known actors performing them). So many of them arrive in insignificant roles, including a beautiful Diana Penty, but add no real value to the script. At least, the writers could have etched out the dynamic between Aravind (DQ) and his brother a lot better since that formed a pivotal angle. Now, the biggest bummer - the lack of a "twist." Some may call it different but different doesn't cut it.

The film branches out into two arcs - one focuses on Aravind's uneasy dynamic with the police department and, specifically, a team of cops that includes his brother Ajith (Manoj K Jayan). This arc also adds other inconsequential family members into the mix to make it worse. The other is about a double homicide, which said team of cops, and later Aravind alone, is investigating. The second arc only gets interesting in the second half, when a conman Kurup-like angle is introduced but fizzles out quickly during the climax. I also didn't enjoy the co-incidences that take the plot forward!

Now, the few positives: Jakes Bejoy's score is essential in setting the film's tone. There are no songs, thankfully. The ever-reliable Manoj K Jayan does a pretty good job, even though he features in fewer scenes. The pre-climax portion is engaging. Also, call me biased, but I loved seeing my hometown Trivandrum in the film!

Fmovies: Film Review SALUTE : Malyalam film streaming on Sony LIV ( Hindi audio with English subtitles available) #sanjuzzreviews #salutefilm #SonyLIVIndia

Directed by Rosshan Andrrews, Salute is a Malyalam mystery thriller starring Dulquer Salmaan as SI Arvind who has a change of heart after he discovers that he has fabricated evidence under pressure from politicians and framed an innocent person in a murder case.

He tries to run away from it all, but finally realises that the only way to unburden the load on his conscience is to revisit this long closed case and bring the real killer to book .

However things aren't so simple as it might spell doom for him and his brother who was heading the investigations.

Even though this is a film from the thriller genre and deals with police investigations, it is not your typical "maar dhaad" masala film. It is, on the contrary, a slow burn police procedural film which is very realistic. This riveting cop drama replete with new ideas is Dulquer Salman's film all the way as he encounters one roadblock after another in his quest to uncover the truth. His frustrations and efforts seem genuine and touch your core .

Might seem a bit slow but definitely worth a watch !! The ending is a bit different too, unlike the usual cop dramas.

My rating 3.5/5 .. adios 🙂

Coz of its unique climax and screenplay one should have atleast view twice especially 2nd half to understand it's core,kudos to Rosshan Andrews who mastered the art cleverly and dulquers performance adds another feather in his cap...forget the mixed reviews,just sit tight and decide on ur perception and sure u won't be disappointed.

Salute fmovies. Salute (2022) was indeed amazing and entertaining and way more entertaining than Dulquer Salmaan's previous film, Kurup (2021). The film is slow paced, but its a must watch film for Indians who love investigation thrillers. Manoj K Jayan has rocked his role as a DYSP officer. I would give it 7.9/10.

Salute starring Dulquar Salman in the lead role..

Directed by Roshan Andrews and penned by Bobby-Sanjay

Verdict of the movie : Super Hit, 4/5 ⭐

Story revolves of a mystery of crimes done by a person and Dulquar Salman is on a mission to find the culprit...

Intially screen play starts with much doubts to the audience but gradually as the movie travels, step by step each door is unlocked and it reveals behind the crime...

Very intriguing thriller experience. Screenplay at various situations was unexpected twists. When we feel that this is the end, a new twist comes up...

Highlight of the movie was the climax. An out and out unexpected climax which to few people feel disappointed but considering the other side sometimes this might be the reality...

Dulquar Salman as SI role beautifully performed. Other co stars done their part very well..

A must watch movie on Sony Liv Platform.

Salute is a fresh air in the making of an investigative journey wherein there are no sensationalism baked into the plot with twist, twist after twist rather we are invited to a world of investigators on how the challenges they face and how they try to maintain a balance between right & wrong.

The film also commences a beginning in the style of international cults where the makers together with the characters try to figure our the unknown and in the end they had to give up or be convinced that this is the far most extreme they can investigate. This was a satisfying experience to see our movies getting to a league of an international quality in this genre, and kudos to the filmmaker & writers.

The film starts off well, and the dynamics it brought in to build the first act was fascinating, protagonist & his brother, being in the same profession and working together in the same team, unknowingly gets into a place where they take separate ways professionally & personally, protagonist in search of fair investigation, and his brother to save his position by covering up the evidences planted for the same investigation

The film progresses well from the protagonist point of view to get into the layers that gets unfold, and the treatment that was chosen fits well into the overall feel.

I would disagree this is a slow burner, rather the pacing was apt and it hooked me to the plot once the first conflict was established.

The second half was way more interesting, and it reminded me of Zodiac, the way investigators get close to the killer and then they realise they are way off and then later they find something that links it back to the killer. It was realistically dealt with, there was no moment to glorify any actor or any character to make it a saucy thriller, enticing viewers to grab attention.

The climax was beautifully thought of leaving viewers in a state where they usually don't find themselves after watching the usual thrillers Indian Cinema are made. The viewers should not have any expectation of any formal closure to the investigation wherein the investigator or their team present a detail report on the killer with flashback and then a twist to surprise the audience, no that's not how this film has to reviewed or validated.

Barring the side characters and the love interest that failed to make a mark, this definitely marks a beginning of a treatment where personally I prefer to have these more often in Indian Cinema, and it's a brave effort from the makers and producer to invest making this film.

Highly Recommended!