Sapthamashree Thaskaraha

Anil Radhakrishnan Menon's 2014 Malayalam film follows seven men who meet in prison. Talking, they realise all their lives were ruined by the same con man, and once out they decide to act together to take his savings. The structure is built on each character telling his own story. There are seven sections, each in a different register, with the moment of being defrauded as the common point. That structure enriches the narrative before it moves to the plan. Prithviraj Sukumaran and Asif Ali are in the cast. The humour comes from the characters not fitting together and the heist section follows the template of the genre. The narrative struggles to balance seven people and some are left behind. Who it's for: those who like Malayalam crime comedy. Who it's not for: viewers looking for a tight heist plot; the film gives more room to the characters than to the plan.