Kunchacko Boban’s Officer On Duty is pacier and heroic than Joseph: Shahi Kabir | Exclusive

Be it Nayattu, Joseph or Ela Veezha Poonchira, Shahi Kabir’s scripts have managed to portray a different side of cops – filled with vulnerabilities and inner conflicts. It’s a far cry from the usual larger-than-life, khaki-wearing and gun-toting cops played by superstars in Malayalam cinema. That’s also why his latest script of Officer On Duty, which will once again have Kunchacko Boban essay a police officer, carries a promise that it wouldn’t disappoint the audience.

In a free-wheeling chat with OTTplay, Shahi talks about what to expect from the Jithu Asharaf directorial, which also has Priyamani and Jagadish, his reasons for showcasing the vulnerable side of cops and more.

Also read: Officer On Duty movie review: An intense Kunchacko Boban powers this gripping thriller, arrested only by its commercial trappings

Your scripts have always made for intense police thrillers. Does Officer On Duty follow the same trend?

Officer On Duty isn’t a movie like Nayattu and Ela Veezha Poonchira. It is pacier than Joseph, and has more space for emotional and family drama. This is a film that has more heroism, investigation and action, even though it’s not an action movie.

Also read: Nayattu movie review: An intense look into the systemic corruption of police 

All these films that you have mentioned have conflicted cops as its protagonists – be it a retired police officer haunted by the trauma of his past in Joseph, or a cop and his colleague suffering from isolation and betrayal in Ela Veezha Poonchira.

I think the reason for the audience viewing these characters as complex ones is because there was a time when the police officers of Malayalam cinema were celebrated only for their heroism. They were people who could fight off all odds and had the heart of a lion. But in reality, we are all human including cops and we have to battle whatever life throws at us. There are ups and downs in our lives. In Officer On Duty too, you can see such a police officer, and Chackochan (Kunchacko Boban) has portrayed him with all these nuances.

It’s your second film with Kunchacko after Nayattu. How different were the two characters?

There’s no similarity at all. He must battle his inner conflicts, and at the same time, carry forward an investigation. It’s a movie that follows a more commercial template than my previous films and I am hoping it will cater to the wider audience. If you ask me if it has social commentary? It does, but it’s limited. Also, this character is also heroic. So, any comparisons with my previous films won’t hold merit.

You have also worked as a cop and your movies have shown a different side of the law enforcers. Do you think they are a misunderstood lot?

I believe so. In our society, people believe that police officers are cold-hearted, rough people. That’s the image they have in public largely due to how they are represented in movies as well as our social media. Even for someone who has never been to a police station, cops are a different breed of people in their minds. So, in my films, I have tried to represent them are normal people. In this movie too, there’s the human side of the protagonist, who is not beyond anything.

We are all people who have our own traumas. We don’t want to revisit these uncomfortable situations. But when you wear the uniform, you don’t have that choice; you have to confront whatever trauma it is. That’s the job of a police officer.

The actors that you worked with, including Kunchacko, Joju George and Soubin Shahir, have all said that your scripts have pushed them out of their comfort zone. Does that become a challenge while casting people?

Casting actors is a group decision. For instance, Martin (Prakkat) chettan is producing this film, director Jithu Asharaf, who had started his career with Blessy sir and was part of Nayattu and Iratta, and I discuss with each other on whom to cast and then take the final call.

When it comes to these actors, be it Chackochan, Joju or Soubin, they are actors who want to do something new with each project. So, they take up the challenge. When you narrate the script, because of being part of this industry for years, they immediately pick up on the characters’ traits and backstories. During the shoot, the director gives his inputs to improve upon what they have envisioned. But the prime reason their characters stand out is because they want it to and they put in that effort.

You have written Officer On Duty after directing Ela Veezha Poonchira. Do you find more joy helming a film or writing one and letting another director visualise it on screen?

I have to fully be convinced for me to direct a film. I have already completed directing another film, which has Roshan Mathew and Dileesh Pothan. It’s again a police story and something relevant. But when you are writing for another director, you also have to make room for their call on how things should pan out. You always write for a director, as in it’s their movie and they have to be convinced with what you write. But yes, writing is easier than directing.