Mark Review: Kiccha Sudeep Is A One-Man Force In This Cop Thriller

Christmas last year saw the release of Kiccha Sudeep's Max directed by Vijay Karthikeyaa and given its success at the box office, the team is back this December 25 with Mark. In Max, the Kannada star played Circle Inspector Arjun Mahakshay aka Max, while in Mark, he plays SP Ajay Markandeya aka Mark. The movie once again embraces the familiar trope of a contemporary cop thriller using Kiccha Sudeep's star presence to deliver mass moments in the film.

SP Ajay Markandeya aka Mark is a suspended cop who gets thrust into a high-stakes investigation which involves multiple cases. There is a case about the disappearance of children on one hand, corrupt politicians and a drug don who is out to get his share of revenge.

The plot threads an action-packed journey for the suspended SP through criminal syndicates and political manipulations, putting Mark as both an enforcer and an avenger within a morally compromised world. Though he is suspended from duty, Mark is not idle but a man on a mission - he continues to work diligently to set the wrongs in the world right.

18 children have been kidnapped by a mysterious criminal gang and suddenly when one child after another ends up dead, there is panic and pressure to find the criminals. The case comes to Mark who is given 18 hours to find the children and prevent further killings, and the hunt begins. Cut to Adikeshava (Shine Tom Chacko), the Chief Minister's son, who is busy plotting to take over the CM seat and somehow his plan is leaked. In comes Bhadra (Naveen Chandra), a drug don, who is on the lookout for his brother. How does Mark get connected to Adikeshava and Bhadra and why does he take them on?

From the get-go, the movie is action-packed and clearly tells you that this is another regular cop procedural drama, but one that is on a larger scale and will be a crowd-pleaser. Kiccha Sudeep as Mark is a rugged, unyielding protagonist and his character has been tailored for maximum impact.

The movie blends police procedural elements with gritty action sequences, pitting Mark against both ruthless gangsters and unscrupulous powerbrokers. The seasoned Kannada star essays Mark effortlessly, and together with stylised cinematography, dynamic action choreography, and his trademark swag, the movie has mass entertainment written all over it.

Max and Mark are both written and directed by Vijay Karthikeyaa and there are bound to be similarities - both are cop stories and feature commercial film elements. Kiccha Sudeep is a one-man force in both Max and Mark and in both, he plays an authoritative, morally driven law-enforcement figure whose presence dominates the narrative.

Given his star status in Sandalwood and the large number of fans he has, the story has obviously been structured to elevate his screen entry, dialogue delivery, physicality, and confrontations. The cop hero bends the rules for the good of the people and along with punch dialogues and stylised action sequences, Sudeep's on-screen heroism is celebrated aplenty. The key difference between Max and Mark though is that the story of the latter has a much broader canvas at play (three cases linked and two antagonists) and more at stake for the hero.

Karthikeyaa comes across as more confident as a director in Mark, and the narrative style and execution are much smoother. The story is much tighter, and the way he has paced the film ensures that the audience is constantly invested and wonders what happens next.

But he hasn't subverted the cop genre or tried to innovate making the story more predictable. His characterisation of Mark is refined, and he has portrayed Sudeep's star power meticulously to create iconic hero moments that his fans will love. But the focus is more on mass appeal, making the film a little superficial and not deeply nuanced.

Kiccha Sudeep is tailor-made for cop roles given his charm, swag and commanding presence on screen. He has tried to present a never-seen-before cop in Mark by adding certain mannerisms and sporting a different look, and he succeeds. His dialogue delivery and body language make Mark distinct and a persona that his fans will surely applaud.

As for Shine Tom Chacko and Naveen Chandra, their roles are more functional, and their performances are apt for their roles. At the end of the day, Mark is a Kiccha Sudeep film, and one shouldn't expect too much depth from the characters surrounding him. Yogi Babu elicits a few laughs as that's what he is clearly in the film for. Many others like Guru Somasundaram and Vikranth are present just to take the story forward and don't have much scope.

Well-known music director Ajaneesh Lokesh has scored the music for this film, and it lifts many of the heroic and action scenes tremendously. The cinematography by Shekhar Chandru is a highlight but the editing by SR Ganesh Baabu could have been a bit crisper.

Mark is a Christmas treat for all Kiccha Sudeep fans, as the audience gets to see the Kannada star in an all-out action mass entertainer. Sudeep has elevated the film through his performance and while the story doesn't offer anything new, his presence and energy make it worth your while.