Ram Srikar
As we await the arrival of Jailer, let’s take a look at Nelson’s filmmaking styles, the commonalities in his films, and why he is a fresh voice in the mainstream space
On the surface, his films are black comedies spun around serious situations but look deeper, there’s more than what meets the eye. From warm frames to his deadpan protagonists and the wacky yet deadly situations they are forced into, the Nelson touch is evident in his films.
While his protagonists are practical to the tee, it is an emotion that pushes them to become what they are. Kokila, a simple woman becomes Kolamaavu Kokila because she is driven to save her mother. It’s love that’s driving Kokila.
In Kolamavu Kokila, the mother’s condition is revealed at exactly the 20th minute of the film. In Doctor, Chinnu goes missing much sooner, in the 13th minute. In Beast, the protagonist’s internal conflict, being complicit in the death of an innocent girl, is incited around the 15th-minute mark.
Nelson’s films are about people caught in odd, dangerous situations and this gives the filmmaker a wide arena to play with characters.the characters populating Nelson’s world make it lively.