Churuli review: A maze that amazes

Churuli

Malayalam (SonyLiv)

Director: Lijo Jose Pellissery

Cast: Chemban Vinod Jose, Vinay Forrt, Jaffer Idukki

Rating: 3/5

The deeper you go into the forest, the darker your mind gets.

The barrage of expletives that 'Churuli' uses is just an indication of how humans let go of their inhibitions in a lawless land. The forest peels off all layers of morality to expose the criminal instincts of man.

The women of 'Churuli' are equally thuggish, reading the Bible and mouthing profanities in the same breath.

Lijo Jose Pellissery is always fascinated with the wild. In 'Jallikattu', he used the jungle to lay bare the mob mentality. In 'Churuli' (spiral), the jungle forms the background of a tale that winds up nowhere after covering dangerous treks across a leech-filled, slippery terrain. Mystery is writ large on every curve.

Undercover cops Antony (Chemban Vinod Jose) and Shajivan (Vinay Forrt) are in the woods in search of a notorious criminal. Both camp at the village toddy shop, chasing all possible leads.

The film is a slow thriller that spins its way around fascinating, in-your-face characters whose only goal in life is to drink and mate. The raw feelings find expression in an extremely foul language, which could be held against Pellissery by purists.

All the inhabitants of 'Churuli' have varying levels of secrecy shrouded around them, but the viewer is left to decide who is more lethal. It’s particularly interesting to watch virtuous cop Vinay Forrt bend the moral arc under the cover of wilderness.

'Churuli' is not just a story. The essence lies in the atmosphere, enhanced manifold by the cinematography.

If Jallikattu tried to prove that man is an animal, 'Churuli' goes a step ahead to conclude that the human race is nothing but a bunch of criminals. “Is there anyone who hasn’t thought of killing or raping someone,” wonders one.

After all, there are no judges in the law of the jungle.