When two titans of an industry reunite on screen after more than a decade, anticipation doesn’t just rise—it swells into something almost sacred. Such a meeting demands perfect symmetry: a balance of presence and purpose that can honour both legacies. In striving to crack this impossible equilibrium, Mahesh Narayanan’s Patriot becomes overwhelmed by its own ambition.
What could have been a taut, Black Mirror-esque take on technology’s power to shape and shatter lives collapses into a thriller that hardly allows the horror to be felt.
The plot is set in motion when Periscope, a classified military spyware, is stealthily deployed on civilian gadgets like mobile phones and laptops. In the midst of this data theft is Dr Daniel (Mammootty), a government official branded as a spy, under whose aegis the software was initially sanctioned. The bulk of the plot revolves around the uncovering of the scam and pushback from the power nexus that runs it.
Patriot’s chief draw, of course, is the coming together of Mammootty and Mohanlal. While their on-screen dynamic largely holds, several scenes seem weighed down by a deliberate effort to balance their legacies. In a high-stakes chase sequence, for example, the duo fall into a rumination on death — an intrusion that aspires to depth but ends up undercutting the scene’s urgency.
Mammootty, despite his age-induced frailty, is a towering presence. Mohanlal, on the other hand, brings grace to the role of a retired army man.
But writer-director-editor Mahesh Narayanan crams the narrative with too much, leaving little room for anything that doesn’t directly serve the plot. In the absence of a patient build-up, the emotional moments simply pass by, unable to deliver any real pang.
However, Patriot deserves credit for deviating from the trend of chest-thumping jingoism usually seen in recent films of the genre. While recent spy thrillers like Dhurandhar whitewash the government and arm viewers with anthems for anti-Muslim hate, Patriot tries to interrogate power, highlighting its draconian potential to crush lives. Even the army heroes in Mahesh Narayanan’s world are fueled by concern for the common man, rather than an aspiration for militarised revenge.
Patriot, too, is driven by a saviour complex, as is the case with most star-vehicle movies of the genre, but without the explicit misogyny and religious majoritarianism that usually come with it.
The film also features a stellar ensemble of talent. Apart from the two superstars, there is a stunning Revathi, who leaves her mark despite her limited screen time. Kunchacko Boban, Grace Antony, and Darshana Rajendran all deliver assured performances.
Nayanthara is emphatic as the committed lawyer, but her carefully ironed-out curls and pleat-perfect costumes chip away at the authenticity of her performance.
Zarin Shihab, who gets the most screen time among the women, performs with appropriate restraint. Her dynamic with her on-screen partner, however, is slightly unsettling to watch, considering the huge age gap and lack of intimacy.
Fahadh Faasil, who has established himself as an undeniable talent, dons a character that bears resemblance to several roles he has performed before. He brings a certain gravitas to his scenes, but those waiting to be mesmerised by his magnetism may be left wanting.
Interestingly, cinematographer and filmmaker Rajiv Menon appears in an important role, 28 years after he appeared as the evasive Gupthan in Harikrishnans (1998), a film that also had Mammootty and Mohanlal in lead roles. He fits perfectly as the calculated, menacing JP Sundaram.
Sushin Shyam’s music and Manush Nandan’s cinematography do what is required. The action pieces, though, do not live up to the anticipation.
Overall, Patriot assembles ambition, pace, and a formidable cast, but never quite finds the thread to bind them. Nonetheless, it leaves us with a glimpse of a tumultuous future that may already be closing in. And to place a dissident hero at the centre of a film titled Patriot is, in today’s political climate, a welcome rarity.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.