Prithviraj arrives at last with "Vargam". He has been a newcomer for far too long but should be able to drop the tag with this film, directed by M. Padmakumar, which he carries on his shoulders with aplomb.

The story revolves around Solomon Joseph (Prithviraj), a corrupt cop. He makes money, leads a lonely but merry life, taking on the bigwigs who are not in his good books.

One such big shot is Ummachan (Devan) with big political ambitions. His competitor Vavachan (Vijaya Raghavan) is Solomon's benefactor and the tussle between them is prolonged and turns into a fight for one-upmanship.

Prithviraj's performance is a revelation and the audiences remain glued to their seats. The proceedings take a break when Solomon gets a punishment transfer for mistakenly killing Ummachan's younger sibling Dennis in the lockup.

The next part of the story takes place in the dry surroundings of Kasaragod. From here on, the film drags.

In Kasaragod also Solomon does not leave his old ways and befriends the local bigwig and smuggler Arakkal Aboobakar Haji (Captain Raju).

Generally, cop films are city-centric but the backdrop of this film is rural and the camera races through Idukki to Kasaragod and captures the terrain of marijuana cultivation and smuggling.

After a sequence of events Solomon faces a life-threatening situation that leads him to his redemption. However, the film ends with a contrived climax.

Technically, "Vargam" is notches above recent flicks. The camerawork by youngster Shamdat is engrossing.

Padmakumar, who has been director Ranjith's associate for eons, does not totally break free from his mentor's school of filmmaking. The influence is evident in the dialogues and the non-judgemental approach to characterisation.

But, given that, he shows a lot of potential in his second directorial venture after "Ammakkilikoodu", which was scripted and produced by Ranjith.

"Vargam" is a character-driven film, hugely depending on the protagonist. Though the rest of the cast seem to be sidelined, some still stand out.

The most prominent among them is Rajan P. Dev in the role of a priest. He deserves a special mention. Devan and Vijaya Raghavan pass muster.

Renuka Menon, the female lead who has long been ignored by the industry after her stunning debut in "Nammal", makes a comeback as a stoic woman who becomes the reason for our hero's turnaround. But we feel that she deserved something more.