Bheeshma Parvam movie review - Mammootty and Amal Neerad manage to craft a sleek and solid gangster flick

Back in 2007, Amal Neerad made his directorial debut with Big B starring Mammooty as a stoic gangster who return to his hometown after the death of his stepmother. While the movie got mixed reviews, it was a huge hit and changed the way Malayalam action movies were made.

The movie is sleek and stylish and had a lot of slow-motion action sequences shots which went on to be a trademark for Amal Neerad's future movies something the director himself has joked about. After the massive success of Big B, the director's filmography was a mixed bag with some solid movies like Bachelor Party and Varathan and flops like Sagar alias Jacky and Anwar.

Amal Neerad's second collaboration with Mammooty Bheeshma Parvam thankfully falls in the former half, the movie does have the director's usual trade makers, what should be appreciated is despite having a story that has been done plenty of times before the director has showcased his evolution has a filmmaker and manages to create a solid gangster movie.

This is not to say that the movie does not have its issues. Mainly the pacing the movie is a slow burner it takes its time setting up events and characters. This is noticeable because the basic plotline of the movie is something anyone who has seen a Hollywood gangster movie like Godfather or scarface can figure out. In fact, the movie also borrows inspiration from old Mammooty gangster movies from the 90s like Samrajyam and Kouravar.

But thanks to some excellent cinematography by Anend C Chandran and solid performances from the supporting cast keeps the movie's head above water.

Bheeshma Parvam follows Michael Anjoottikkaran the patriarch of a large and wealthy family, Micheal despite having a past filled with crime and violence tries his best to do right by his family and friends but some of his close family are not exactly happy with the way he runs things so when an old enemy reappears they plot to take Michael down.

Like I said before, the plot of the movie is nothing new, but that does not mean that the movie isn't engaging. Amal Neerad isn't trying to recreate Big B and make Mammooty's Micheal into a one-man army. In fact, while the character is a bit larger than life his feet are firmly rooted on the ground. 

This is thanks to a great performance by Mammootty . The actor oozes charm and charisma in every scene and steals the show, but what must be appreciated is the fact both the actor and director were able to let the script take the lead and not make this movie into another mass masala entertainer that has more style than substance.

The supporting cast does a phenomenal job especially Soubin Shair as Ajas Ali and Shine Tom Chacko as peter, it was also nice seeing the late KPAC Lalitha and Nedumudi Venu share screen space together as the vile Karthyayaniyamma and Iravippilla.

The music by Sushin Shyam is a standout and especially the main theme, the songs in the movie are nice and are integrated well into the story and never overstay their welcome.

So Bheeshma Parvam ends up being a solid gangster movie something that even if you are not a Mammooty fan or fan of the gangster genre might enjoy and if you are a fan of Big B then this movie is a must-watch.