Mukundan Unni Associates

In 2022, the Malayalam language film "Mukundan Unni Associates," a dark comedy crime film, was released. Vineeth Sreenivasan, Aarsha Chandini Baiju, and Suraj Venjaramoodu play the lead roles in the Abhinav Sunder Nayak-directed film. The movie and Nightcrawler from 2014 are comparable. Critics largely gave it favourable reviews.

Lawyer Adv. Mukundan Unni, the main character, is doomed to failure in his professional endeavours. His attempts to obtain cases are unsuccessful, and as a result of his attempt to speak with a politician, he ultimately loses his job. He tries to live a disciplined life for many years in an effort to become wealthy, but he is unsuccessful.

Mukundan Unni Associates Movie Details

Mukundan Unni Associates

The writers of Mukundan Unni Associates have worked very hard to emphasise the very intense and dark tone of their pitch-black comedy. In order to give viewers a glimpse into the main character, Mukundan Unni's mind, they created social media accounts for him. This helped to maintain the suspenseful and thrilling atmosphere in the promotional materials. The opening line of the movie emphasises that while most people are morally grey, some people can be downright evil.

The choice to carefully market the movie was made for two reasons. First off, it's crucial to emphasise that this film is not your typical Vineeth Sreenivasan feel-good story. Second, films with morally ambiguous protagonists like Mukundan Unni are uncommon in a world as desolate and hopeless as the one in this film. The extreme lack of empathy in the Wayanad setting would make even a place as gloomy as a Black Hole seem like a pleasant honeymoon destination in contrast.

Exaggeration is used purposefully in Mukundan Unni because the movie deviates from the norms associated with stories with morally dubious protagonists. There are usually people nearby who uphold higher values when we encounter a character with a flawed sense of morality; these people act as a contrast to the protagonist's viewpoint. But in this movie, even the most charitable character is opportunistic and conscious of their own self-interest. The only difference is that they are portrayed as having a slightly less ominous moral ambiguity.

If you have a tendency to be optimistic, you might view the movie as a self-indulgent exploration that solidifies your conviction that the world is a cruel and hopeless place. On the other hand, if you're more pessimistic, Mukundan Unni Associates will probably be very entertaining and oddly comforting.

This impression is based on the fact that each of us has a component of ourselves that resembles Mukundan Unni. He is not a real person; he is a symbol of our intrusive thoughts and desires. Unni, played by Vineeth Sreenivasan, is free to act on even his most unsettling impulses thanks to this lack of restraint. Due to his lack of empathy, Unni only pursues two types of relationships: those with people he can use as tools to further his own agendas or those with whom he can commit crimes. Everyone who doesn't fall into one of these groups, including his own mother, is disposable.

It's amazing that we still care about Unni's perverse schemes to rule the world. There may be a number of causes for this, but the skillful balancing act of the screenplay is the primary one. It gives us just enough information to keep us from being turned off by the protagonist. The narrative is focused on the murky world of ambulance chasers who conspire with accident victims to defraud insurance companies. Wayanad's erratic and hilly roads, where accidents are common and present opportunities for financial gain, serve as the setting for this story. However, despite the fact that the movie is set in several hospitals' emergency rooms, there is very little bloodshed. Additionally, the movie deftly keeps the students who are on the bus who become victims at a distance so that we don't feel any pity for them.

Even though it is set in a world where accidents and emergencies are common, the movie carefully avoids showing any explicit violence or gore. It is intended to prevent any sympathy or emotional attachment on the part of the audience towards the victims. By keeping us somewhat removed from the tragic events, the film makes sure that we are more likely to continue being invested in Unni's sinister goals.

The core of the story revolves around the dubious moral practise of taking advantage of accident victims and working together to defraud insurance companies. Wayanad's unpredictable and hilly roads serve as the backdrop for this murky universe of ambulance chasers. Every mishap presents a chance for financial gain. Despite the movie's exploration of this morally dubious territory, it takes great care to not show the actual effects of these accidents. Instead, it focuses on Unni and his allies' deceptive methods and strategies.

The film achieves a delicate balance with its shrewd screenplay, revealing just enough to intrigue and hold the audience's attention without overdoing it with disgusting or gory imagery. Despite Unni's twisted intentions and actions, this methodical approach keeps us interested in his character.

Abhinav Sunder Nayak, the director, handled the dark world with a light touch, which is another factor in the movie's ability to keep our attention. The movie is successful in turning its villainous lead into someone who is strangely likeable by utilising animation, witty cameos, and expert voiceover work. This delicate balance is rarely achieved in movies, but it is reminiscent of the "bad guys" in movies like Megamind (2010) and Despicable Me (2010).

Vineeth's casting in this role also adds a further layer of intrigue to this unusual dynamic. Vineeth's portrayal in this film consistently shocks the audience by subverting his established image because he typically played the good guy in his previous movies. Vineeth expresses a feeling we've never seen from him before in a scene of breathtaking cinematic beauty. Despite the fact that Unni's actions result in a significant accident that causes destruction, we are able to see the evil satisfaction of a mastermind as his or her plans come to fruition. It has the same feeling as when a mischievous five-year-old just set a toy store on fire in terms of sheer joy.

Unni's voiceovers are used in the movie, which improves the mood. These voiceovers are not just there to give the audience a way to understand the scenes or the plot. Instead, they act as commentary, urging us to see things from Unni's point of view, despite the sense of distancing his actions give us from him. However, when these lines are spoken, primarily in English, they frequently offer some of the movie's funniest scenes. We couldn't stop laughing even after the scene ended at one of the words Unni uses to describe a good turn of events, such as "a magnificent resurrection."

The use of clever storytelling techniques that would have also been effective in a thriller about competitive relationships in the workplace keeps the movie from being merely a collection of scenes showing a bad guy fulfilling his desires. An unidentified person can be seen passing Unni and his rival in an earlier shot while the latter is seen dispersing stacks of cash. You might even miss it at first because of how subtly the moment is executed. The deeper meaning of the scene?about karma and the cyclical nature of life?becomes clear when a similar scene is later staged in the same hallway.

The characters are given a sense of "before" and "after" that goes beyond the events shown in the movie thanks to these extra details about more general philosophical ideas. We are invited to imagine the circumstances that made Unni into the person he is today and to project what lies ahead for him. You might wish for Unni's karma to catch up with him if you have an optimistic outlook on life. On the other hand, if you were more pessimistic, you might picture Unni driving around in his brand-new Mercedes, unaffected by any repercussions.

Mukundan Unni's brilliant character design enables the movie to naturally revolve around him. In addition to Vineeth's outstanding performance (especially in a hilarious scene during a condolence meeting), the film is not under pressure to chastise or fix its morally dubious lead character. With this movie, not only has the "tree of virtue" been cut down, but the director has also used the wood to build a tomb for Vineeth's reputation as a "good boy" that was previously established.

Conclusion

In general, the movie leaves the audience with the impression that Mukundan Unni is incredibly fortunate and can avoid the repercussions of his actions. However, the presence of dark humour, complex characters, strong acting, and other elements, along with a strong script and direction, more than make up for this flaw. It is widely regarded as one of the best films of 2022 and is absolutely fantastic.