Despite being known for churning realistic and relatable stories, the Malayalam industry also attempts commercial entertainers occasionally. Some of them like ‘Aavesham’ change the course of the industry while others fail miserably. ‘Turbo’ belongs to the latter.
Although Mammootty is the protagonist and Raj B Shetty features as a ruthless villain, the film, directed by hitmaker Vysakh, fails to bring anything new to the table. Only a few action sequences featuring the veteran actor stand out.
The beloved Malayalam superstar has gone back to the masala entertainment era. Hopefully just for the kick of it. His character, Jose, looks like a cocktail of all the typical male leads of Indian cinema. They come, hit, solve the problems and repeat.
Jose hails from the hilly terrains of Kerala, a place known for mud races and off-roading vehicles. That’s where the film gets its turbo theme from. He reaches Chennai following some funny incidents. The meat of the story is set here.
Shetty plays a frightening businessman-turned-politician. He tries to control the state of affairs in Tamil Nadu by influencing MLAs with money and power. This draws parallels with present-day India.
The film has two strong female characters — Bindu Panicker as Jose’s mother and Anjana Jayaprakash, a bank manager who gets entangled in the situation. And unlike most mass films, their screen presence remains pivotal all through.
Vysakh does a good job as a director but the script has many loopholes. Its weakness becomes evident every time something important comes up.
The cliffhanger at the end hints at the possibility of a second film or a franchise. Is it exciting? No. It is a movie for hard-core Mammukka enthusiasts.