Operation Java
Malayalam (Zee5)
Director: Tharun Moorthy
Cast: Balu Varghese, Lukman Avaran, Binu Pappu
Rate: 3.5/5
Even those who are aware of how cybercrimes are planned and executed sometimes fall prey to them. ‘Operation Java’, a crime-thriller, shows how the police tackle such crimes, ranging from film piracy to OTP heists.
Antony George (Balu Varghese) and Vinay Dasan (Lukman Avaran) walk into a police cyber cell with their findings of the ‘Premam’ piracy case that hit the headlines in 2015. Initially, the police are sceptical, but soon realise the two young men could be useful in crime detection, and give them paid internships. Case after case unfolds as the narrative culminates in an interesting climax.
The story has its emotional arc, with a youngster struggling to keep a romantic relationship afloat, and a mother hoping her son gets a well-paying job.
Balu and Lukman, as the lead characters, are convincing. Binu Pappu, a good addition to Malayalam films, plays a senior at the cyber cell. Irshad as an authoritative yet humane chief officer also makes an impression.
‘Operation Java’ shows how, in an era of quick, clever crimes, our cyber police are still stuck with archaic knowledge, old computers, and low-speed Internet. Director Tharun Moorthy makes a brilliant debut in this police procedural.