Face to Face (2012 Malayalam film)

Face to Face (Titled as Face 2 Face) is a 2012 Malayalam-language mystery thriller film directed by V. M. Vinu and starring Mammootty, Siddique, Kalabhavan Mani, Ragini Dwivedi and Roma Asrani. The film was written by Manoj Payyanur and produced by M. K. Nazar under the banner of Good Line Productions. It was released on 30 November 2012.

Plot
Balachandran is a suspended and honest cop, who lost his wife Jayasree and son because of his alcoholism. Balachandran is now working as a Real estate Businessman and living with his brother Anwar and sister-in-law Dr.Uma. Balachandran meets his childhood friend SP Ramdas and CI Abdul Lateef.

One day, Balachandran finds out that the ex-chief minister Kuriyan Punchakkadan's son Thomas is murdered and hanged on a cross near a beach. Ramdas calls Balachandran to his office to enquire about Thomas's murder. He says that he met Thomas at a hotel before his death. He even reveals that Thomas is a known pimp, who is involved in sex racketing and human trafficking. He has a human trafficking partner named Nirmala Thankachi, a beautition. Their main place where they do their business is Pagoda Resort, which is owned by a drug dealer named Nirmal Kumar. Thomas's cousin George is the supporter of Thomas's every dirty job. He tries to arrest Thomas but when he takes to the station, his releasing order came. Thomas and George tries to kill him once with his and make it as an accident but Balachandran manages to escape. Balachandran helps Lateef to investigate Thomas's murder without Ramdas's knowledge.

One day he meets 4 youngsters, Chandu, Peter, Shyam and Rahul and befriends them. Balachandran take them to old estate. Soon, a flashback occurs showing that Balachandran found out that they 4 killed Thomas in the estate and Balachandran was pretending to be friendly with them. He asks them why they killed Thomas. They reveals that they killed him as he raped and killed Peter's sister Isa. Balachandran reveals that Chandu is Balachandran's son Naveen and hugs him. He tells to Ramdas that he kill Thomas and Balachandran gets arrested. Jayasree comes to meet him in jail and she said its all her fault, then Balachandran said its not your fault, my alcoholism made it.

Cast

 * Mammootty as CI Balachandran
 * Siddique as SP T.Ramadas IPS, Balachandran's childhood friend
 * Kalabhavan Mani as CI Abdul Latheef
 * Ragini Dwivedi as Jayasree Balachandran
 * Roma Asrani as Dr. Uma Antharjanam, Balachandran's sister-in-law
 * Vineeth Kumar as Anwar (TV-Reporter), Uma's husband
 * Jins Varghese as Shaji (TV-Cameraman)
 * Vijayaraghavan as Ex-Chief Minister Kurian Varghese Punchakadan, Thomas's father
 * Firoz Khan as Thomas Punchakkadan, Kurian's son and George's cousin
 * Nishanth Sagar as George Joseph Punchakkadan, Thomas's cousin and friend
 * Mamukkoya as Aalikkoya, Punchakadan's driver and Peter's neighbour
 * Mahesh as Raghuprasad
 * Binoy Nambola as Peter
 * Reena Basheer as Chandrababu's wife and Shyam's mother
 * Amrita as Isa, Peter's sister
 * Rajesh Hebbar as Dr. Chandrababu, Shyam's father
 * Abu Salim
 * Kunchan
 * Sivaji Guruvayoor as DGP Nandakishore Varma IPS
 * Gayathri as Constable Velayudhan's wife
 * V.M Vinu as shop owner

Production
Roma Asrani and the Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi played the lead roles along with Mammootty. The film had an ensemble cast of supporting actors including Siddique, Vijayaraghavan, Kalabhavan Mani, Mamukkoya and Kunchan along with four new faces: Gautam, Rishikesh, Rohit and Binoy. The film was extensively shot in Goa, Ernakulam and Munnar.

According to the director, Face to Face is a "high-octane thriller woven around a murder mystery. The film brings on to the screen loads of action and suspense."

Soundtrack
The soundtrack features three songs composed by Alphons Joseph. The lyrics were written by Anil Panachooran and Anna San Jaimt.


 * Track list

Release and reception
The film was released in 81 theaters across Kerala on 30 November 2012; the movie had gained negative responses from both critics and viewers.

Sify gave the movie two stars out of five and stated this: "With the absence of basic logic at most times and a style that was perhaps okay eons ago, this film is tough to be digested even for the hardcore fans of" Mammootty.

The Times of India also gave the movie two stars and stated: "The film does not engage the audience. It is so much pre-occupied with an infuriating surge of self-pity and some stereo-typed villainy. Save for the perennial charm on his face, even Mammootty fails to salvage a shoddily-written plot."

Rediff.com's headline was "Face 2 Face is best avoided" and added, "None of these gimmicks can salvage the film because of its weak plot and over-dependence on star power. "