Rajesh R Pillai with is his second film in malayalam industry after his debut film hridayathil sookshikkan has given something memorable to the audience of Kerala. Though the film has strong similarities to many other Hollywood films, we cannot say that it is a copy. The film is set on a usual urban day at Kochi. We have 4 parallel stories in this movie and the 4 of them gets mixed together after a tragic accident occurs to one of them at a crowded junction in Kochi. The 4 main lead actors are Sreenivasan, Rahman, Kunchacko Boban and Vineeth Sreenivasan. All the actors have given a strong performance and a special mention to Asif Ali. The script looks solid enough to make the film contest for the highest grossing malayalam movies of this year. I strongly believe that movies like these will certainly lift malayalam cinema industry from its current crisis and will help build a unique era the industry haven't witnessed before. I would give the film 8.7 out of 10 (since IMDb doesn't allow that, I would give it a 9). Just go for it and make this movie a hit!!!
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Athulpower30 January 2011
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hrn-nam19 February 2011'Traffic' is undoubtedly, a carefully crafted work, flowing through deep emotional,tensed and dramatic moments. The thrilling plot similar to some of Hollywood's, the movie thrills with parallels weaved from four different angles of a police constable, a movie superstar, a divorced lady, a dying news reporter and his parents. Well worked screenplay,excellent direction, good apt background music and outstanding performance from some good actors all make this movie a heartwarming ride. Kudos!!
Still, it's a shock that veterans like Saikumar who delivered a class,subtle and marvelous performance in this movie are still underrated or partially utilized. 'Traffic' - 'never miss'. -
vineeth_pallakkat27 February 2011Rajesh Pillai's traffic has got it's unique place in the Malayalam movie history(so far)considering the type of plot it handles and mode of narration adopted.The essence of the story is based on real events happened in Chennai.The plot revolves around (most of the time) the events happening between morning and evening on a particular day. Super star Sidharth Shankar(Rahman) is on a desperate run for a donor for his daughter's heart transplantation,Raihan(Vineeth Sreenivasan) an aspiring journalist is on his way to office, Traffic Constable Sudevan(Sreenivasan)is on the first day of duty after suspension and Dr. Abel Tharyan(Kunchako Boban) is test driving his dream,a car!!These 4 strangers are connected through the string of fate.How???that is the rest of the story. This movie adopted a non-linear method to tell the whole story going back and forth on the time line,during the whole movie.but the screenplay is so solid that the spectator never looses the grip on the story.The director and editor is so keen on keeping the viewers on edge of their seats most of the time.
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thatsnandu29 September 2011"Traffic" is an impeccable experience which makes you edgy to the seats, haunt you and crawls right in to your skin and says there. Director Rajesh Pillai has framed a great theme inspired from some real life incidents into a piece of art. The script writers Bobby & Sanjay had done an awesome work with the script makes it the real hero of the movie. The casting was as perfect as it could be and each of them had played their roles so amazingly. The first of its kind type of multi story line narration in Malayalam cinema would give a new start to long awaited changes in the industry.
Overall, Traffic is that one unique journey which when seen makes us realize those aspects of our life which we have always knowingly or unknowingly ignored. For an Instance we may feel that we are traveling in that Scorpio van with them. -
linoytk3 June 2011Yes the movie is actually a new ray of hope in Malayalam movie with its fresh story and narrative. Talents like Rajesh Pillai needs to be encouraged at a time when there is a huge black hole in the terms of fresh story. We have been treated with reused story line. Its just like saying as old wine in new bottle. Bobby and Sanjay also needs to be encouraged for treading a new path rather than using the old formulas. It also needs to be encouraged the fact that the movie doesn't boast of big names in the industry.Talented actors such as Sreenivasan and Sai Kumar had lived up to expectations. Kunchako Boban too in his new avatar has been constantly been improving with each releases. Anoop Menon and Asif Ali performance also needs a special mention.
The story interludes into different aspects of different people in different spectrum's of life on a particular day and how at one point of the story these different people join for a common goal. This is actually the highlight of the movie where it was able to bring together the feelings and complexities in emotions of different people in different spectrum's of Life Sidharth Shankar (Rahman) is getting ready for the release of his new film. On the same day, Traffic Constable Sudevan (Sreenivasan) joins back on duty, after being suspended from service for taking bribes. The day is special for Dr. Abel (Kunchako Boban) who is celebrating his first wedding anniversary. Raihan (Vineeth Sreenivasan), an aspiring television journalist, is starting his first job with an interview with Sidharth Shankar the very same day.
On a particular day at a crowded traffic junction in Kochi, Raihan and Rajeev (Asif Ali), traveling in a bike is fatally hit by a speeding car at the signal. Raihan was all set to interview the superstar, Siddharth Shankar. Also at the junction, in another car, was the surgeon Dr. Abel.
Raihan goes into comma and is declared brain dead although he is kept alive using ventilator. Meanwhile, Siddharth's ailing daughter's condition becomes worse and she urgently needs a heart transplant. At first Raihan's parents does not agree to take their son of the ventilator and donate their son's heart but Rajeev and Raihan's girlfriend persuades them into it. Now that the heart is available, the problem was with transporting it from Kochi to Palakkad. No chartered flights or helicopters were available and so the heart has to be taken by road. Someone has to drive the 150 kilometers in under two hours during the rush traffic.
City Police Commisoner Ajmal Nazar (Anoop Menon) is asked to carry out the mission. He initially refuses considering the complexity and risk involved in the mission. But finally he heeds to the persuasion of Dr.Simon D'souza (Jose Prakash). Sudevan, being an experience driver who has driven as an escort for ministers, volunteers to be the driver of the Jeep because he wanted to regain the name he lost due to the bribe incident. Accompanying them on this mission is Dr Abel and Rajeev.
Everything goes smoothly for sometime. But at a point the police team loses contact with the vehicle and it mysteriously disappears. Later it was understood that before the mission commenced, Dr Abel had hit and run his wife when he discovered her affair with his best friend. Abel tries to sabotage the mission in an attempt to escape, but Sudevan and Rajeev manages to convince him to save the girl's life. All goes well and they reach the hospital in time to save the girl's life.
I would give 8 out of 10 for this movie for its freshness in thought and the attempt to convert it into a watchable movie without the usual gimmicks of heavily invested movies. Thumps up for all those behind the movie and hope to be treated with more of such movies in future -
mibinmammen-2707421 January 2023I watched traffic when it was first released in 2011 and since then I watched the film at least 10 times including today. At the first glance the film was completely revolutionary with maybe being the first film in Malayalam to use hyperlink narrative style and also the inclusion of depth in the films with all characters backstory. But when I watched the film now I feel that the film was sub par in comparison to today's Malayalam films and it makes me happy and proud at how the industry has changed and became truly global in a short duration. Some of the errors I found today are the background score which was not thrilling enough and felt plain here and there. The story could have been better written with the main part the journey shown in the beginning instead of middle of the film.
Overall one of my all time favorite Malayalam film and a film that created the new wave in Malayalam film industry. -
manojcmm9 May 2015The movie goes extremely well on human relationships. Mother- son,Father-son,husband-wife,lover-lover,friend-friend. This was really a first time feel in Malayalam movie industry! All the professional characters in their role was up to the best. The doctors,Police , etc have done such a great experience to the viewers. One thing which we can miss is all about the background music and effects, which made us clinch with the thriller mood. Especially all songs were Emotional and require for the plot. All roles have their own importance which never makes the viewer feel bored ! Great Screenplay and Direction. A great successive thriller from the start to end !
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brittondv24 September 2011Perhaps, its a revolutionary change in Malayalam film industry. In fact, it was a thrilling experience to watch it. The direction is indeed done so eloquently to entice everyone completely into it. On the other hand, I ain't excited as like all other movie lovers because it reminded me much about the films the Vantage Point & 21 Grams. This doesn't mean that Traffic is exactly as like those films, perfectly not. Besides, the way of presentation is not entirely new instead, perhaps, its an inspiration from Hollywood films.
Happy to realize Malayalam film industry is really in a new path of change with a bunch of youngsters. Let the age old concepts be shattered and good work keep coming. Anyhow, well done guys. Keep your good works up. -
Vibijithnair1 January 2014Malayalam cinema back to track after a long hiatus. Past decade was full of comedy crass & male machismo movie.Traffic by Rajesh pillai & scripted by Bobby Sanjay tells the story of many people who continue their routine life & soon unusual happens and get interlink with each other which leads to well executed climax ending up with high note. Each character has his own depth & reason to involve in this movie. Starting half was detailing every1 and soon gets tied up with each other later filled with suspense and dramatic twist and all leads to predictable climax(girl is going to be saved); but its worth a watch to see how they executed it & result will be spellbound and it also tells the value of organ donation. Overall its a brutally brilliant film culminates to overwhelming & unforgettable trip. +ve: ¤script ¤direction ¤performance ¤cinematography ¤songs(ok) ¤BGM was damn perfect!
-ve: ¤Minute flaws(car speed);easily avoidable.
Must watch before die especially for malayalam movie lovers.
Verdict:Overwhelming experience! I would like to rate it 8.6/10. -
SAMTHEBESTEST20 June 2021Traffic (2011) : Brief Review -
Goes over the top occasionally but this Breathtaking ride is very well acceralated. I never thought a film titled Traffic would be based on actual 'Traffic' elements and provide such a humanly dramatic segments through anthology. Usually, we don't get to see such films or better say such ideas because the risk is there and we don't have many filmmakers who can dare to take it on. Traffic is a fine breathtaking experience, no doubts on that. But, does it fulfill all the criterias of a Classic film? No. It has some things gone wrong, not in experiment but in mainstream flow and that's the problem. It would have been no big problem if it had failed to convince few things while experimenting with the narrtive. The equation is opposite here, it delivers everything in experiments but fails in mainstream flow of the storytelling. A rare example of human error it is. Anyways, excluding that i don't think there is anything incorrect about it. Traffic is very good attempt and well delivered, that matters the most. In the film, the lives of some different people get intertwined when a girl is in urgent need of a heart transplant with the only heart donor being many miles of traffic away. Traffic has too many characters to name so it's not possible to talk about individuals but to end it in short i would say all the actors are decent to good. Some of them are not used properly in the screenplay but that's a mistake of screenwriter. It could have been more specific about elaborating characters but it had so much chaos to handle that it forgets to do so. The narrative goes over the top while making the mainstream drama look high-voltage but overall it ends up on a nice note. Rajesh Pillai gives it that much needed acceleration in the second half and Traffic wins the race in time.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest. -
ericsaju-124036 August 2021"Traffic" this movie shows clearly the importance of life . Vineeth sreenivasan lost his life in an accident but it is an brain death. So his parants know that their son will never come back to life. So they are read to donate their son "Heart" to a thirteen years age girl who face heart disease from her birth onwards. The heart should travel from Ernakulam to Palakkad via road. Sreenivasan working as a traffic police he take this task to take the heart from Ernakulam and reach Palakkad in time... Great work from the whole team.. Another type Story from Malayalam...
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praveen779 August 2017Whatever be one's opinion on the movie as a whole, there can be no denying the impact it had for the better on Malayalam Cinema. This was a landmark film in Malayalam movie history simply because it marked the definite turning of the tide from the mediocre and mostly sub-par work which was being churned out of this once luminous film industry. Speaking as someone who was depressed at the state of Malayalam cinema in the first decade of the 21st century, I am eternally grateful to the whole team behind this masterstroke of a movie, especially its director, Rajesh Pillai. Because post this, it looked like our cinema just couldn't stop being experimental. I can unabashedly say that I am a huge fan of new age Malayalam cinema and its embracing of modern storytelling themes. But without this to lay down the marker and challenge an audience which seemed to be creeping into acceptance of the superstar parodies of neighboring states, the change may not have taken wings.
The premise is simple. A famous actor's daughter is dying and needs a heart transplant. An accident happens and a matching donor is suddenly found. Now it's a question of getting the heart from one city to the other in the middle of rush hour traffic in a couple of hours so that the transplant can be done before it is futile. But the emotional trip this puts us through is what the movie is all about. Adrenalin rush at one point, emotional outbursts at another point, a whole host of characters are brought together in intersecting story lines. They all perform well, but special mention must go to Lena and Kunchako Boban, both in stereotype defying roles which probably resurrected their careers. However, after a long time in Malayalam, here was a movie which rather than being noticed for superstar actors had instead a superstar script, and found overwhelming acceptance from a state known for its acceptance of good films but deprived of the same at the time.
Sadly though, Rajesh Pillai passed away recently. His first movie was the forgettable Hridayathil Sookshikaam (Kunchako Boban and Bhavana in the lead) and he disappeared from the scene for a while before unleashing this thunderbolt out of the blue. His subsequent movies didn't live up to the almost impossible expectations this one set, though I did like the pleasant Milli. However sad his passing, we can have the consolation that he left behind such an epoch defying movie for us to savor. -
somsugar16 January 2024The war on drugs has been fought for centuries, but it isn't ending anytime soon. Shown through points of view, our characters try to contain the rise of a notorious drug cartel. Two cops investigate a drug lord whose wife is taking over the business, a judge attempts to fight the drug increase unaware that his daughter is a user and a Mexican cop attempts to take down the cartel element in his neighborhood. This results in personal costs and lots of sacrifices that may or may not lead to doing what's right. Steven Soderbergh gives us a compelling story shown through the eyes of the law and the drug cartel itself. With multiple skilled actors in the lead, this is one of his best works.