FIR Movie : FIR is an effective, fast-paced thriller And Action Packed Movie

Feb 09,2022

FIR Movie Review: What's in a name? Well, a lot, if you are a Muslim, says FIR. In a throwaway scene, a police officer who has apprehended a suspected terrorist receives his higher official, who asks for the man's name. When he learns it's Irfan Ahmed, he retorts, "Why am I not surprised?"

Just like Vishwaroopam, FIR is a thriller set against the terrorism backdrop that wants to show how wrong it is to blame an entire people for the horrific acts committed by a few from that same community. Its protagonist Irfan Ahmed (Vishnu Vishal, who commits to the character and gives us a convincing performance) is a chemical engineer from IIT-Madras, who is frustrated that his religion is a concern during interviews. He seems to be leading a peaceful life with his mother (Maala Parvathy), a lower-level police woman.

Meanwhile, the National Intelligence Agency gets a tip that Abu Bakkar Abdullah, the most-wanted terrorist in their list, is actually in Chennai and is planning attacks in Colombo and India. The National Security Advisor Ajay Dewan (Gautham Vasudev Menon, in a role that demands more of his screen presence and stature) sets up a team to track him down. Their surveillance on a Muslim cleric Zazi Manzul (Amaan) brings Irfan under their radar. Circumstances force them to decide that Irfan is none other than Abu Bakkar, and they even take him into custody. With no one ready to believe that he is innocent, can Irfan clear his name? What happens to Abu Bakkar's plot?

An effective, fast-paced thriller, FIR strikes all the right notes in its first half with director Manu Anand smartly cutting between scenes from Irfan's life and the NIA's investigation. We get a handful of memorable supporting characters, like Prarthana (Manjima Mohan, effective), a criminal lawyer, who is friends with Irfan, Anisha Qureshi (Raiza Wilson, impressive), a no-nonsense NIA officer, and Gunashekar (Praveen Muthurangan), a lower-ranked officer who gets a big break in the case.

The director smartly weaves in real-life terror attacks, especially the Easter Sunday Colombo blasts, to make his tale feel very real. The manner in which Irfan becomes a suspect is also brought out well. We see how stereotyping plays a major role in this process. At one point, a character tells Irfan that it is because of his name that he had gotten noticed and you realise that's true. Even the romantic track, between Irfan and Archana (Reba Monica John, a surprise) doesn't stick out, and is, in fact, endearing.

If the first half leaves us with a rush, the second half feels rushed. The film, which until then seemed quite rooted in reality, begins to suddenly veer into over-the-top territory with scenes that make us question their plausibility. There's also a bit of mother sentiment that feels tonally off from the rest of the film (just like the scenes involving a hacker, played by Prashanth). We do get a twist that sort of explains some of Irfan's actions, but it also gives rise to a different set of questions. As a result, the climax, with shades of The Family Man and Vishwaroopam, doesn't feel as nail-biting as it should have been.

Thankfully, the rapid editing (GK Prasanna) and the pulsating background score (by Ashwath) ensure that the film manages to move at a breakneck pace, and manage to stop us from thinking about logic and help the film keep us engaged.

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