‘Kammattam’ review: Sudev Nair shines in Zee5’s first Malayalam original series

The Malayalam word ‘kammattam’ means a mint or a place where currency or, more specifically coins are minted. Kammattamis thus, but a fitting title for Zee5’s Malayalam debut series which portrays a financial fraud perpetrated by the members of a co-operative bank in Kerala. With the raw materials of this true crime story, director-writer Shan Thulasidharan creates a dark world where greed unleashes a series of events which spiral out of the characters’ control. 

Sudev Nair shines as the quiet cop Antonio George, who cracks the seemingly ordinary hit-and-run case of Samuel Oommen, a local plantation owner. As the investigation progresses, they realise that the accident was actually murder, and they soon stumble upon the massive fraud committed by officials of the co-operative bank. 

Like all police procedurals, Kammattam starts slowly with the first three-and-half episodes laying the foundation of what’s to come, as the cops follow leads to crack the case. As viewers, we are not privy to the parts of the investigation which carry plot twists. Rather than show the investigation step-by-step, Shan uses Antonio for exposition, when he confronts the perpetrators during interrogation. You don’t see some of the twists in the tale coming; just when you lean back thinking you can guess what happened, Antonio pulls an ace from his sleeve, setting us back to square-one. 

Each episode clocks in at a taut 20-odd minutes, which might be the reason why none of the characters feel fully fleshed out. The only people we get some insight into are Samuel Oommen (Jeo Baby) and Francis, while the rest are sadly unidimensional. Or perhaps Shan wanted to keep it that way — money was the sole motivation in the lives of these characters. The only peek we get at Antonio’s character is his committment to his workout regimen (an explanation perhaps as to why Sudev looked so buff?). 

A still from ‘Kammattam’
| Photo Credit:
Zee5

Though, Sudev is a revelation. As we watch him ruminate over the facts of the case, you could almost hear the cogs turning in his head. And that knowing smile when he shows them their deception never stood a chance! Kammattam shows what the actor is capable of — perhaps Malayalam cinema can now give him meatier roles. To digress, the Malayalam OTT space gives directors the opportunity to explore the talents of familiar faces, offering roles that showcase their potential.

The mood of the series is dark and somber, the cinematography and the colours stick to the palette. Though, one does feel bogged down by the darkness of these characters, who go about killing others and turning on each other at the hint of trouble. What’s more menacing is the fact that these are seemingly normal or regular folk, who don’t even hesitate to resort to murder when at the drop of a hat. Sometimes, when it comes to money, perhaps even close family and friends cannot be trusted.  

Kammattam is interesting, the series has all the elements of a thriller, and it works, largely. But there is something lacking, is it the pace or rather the quickness of it? You could probably still watch it for Sudev Nair’s performance, at the very least.   

Kammattam is streaming on Zee5