The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang Review & Rating: 10-20 minutes into the first episode of Sambhava Vivaranam Nalara Sangham (The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang), a feeling hit me: I might have just sat down to watch one of the finest Indian gangster comedies ever. By the time I wrapped up the sixth and final episode, my initial gut feeling had only been cemented and evolved into an informed opinion, complemented by a heightened admiration for director Krishand, who has once again proven himself to be one of the very few modern-day auteurs in Malayalam cinema. The series also demonstrates that even the most platitudinous themes and genres still possess enough depth and potential to be uncovered, which can only be drawn out by a creator with vision and a willingness to put in the hard work, rather than relying bluntly on hackneyed tropes.Much like Krishand’s previous works, such as Aavasavyuham (2021) and Purusha Pretham (2023), 4.5 Gang is also a stunning blend of various elements, particularly fiction and reality. While most directors often try to narrow the gap between fiction and reality, Krishand takes a road less traversed and seizes every opportunity to highlight the distinction between the two, making the story feel both unbelievable and believable at once. Besides occasionally shifting to dreamlike and imaginary sequences, he also inserts deliberate cuts with shots resembling pages from his storyboard, particularly detailing the various props used in action sequences. Krishand’s exploration of the boundaries between fiction and reality even extends to the naming of places, rendering everything fictionally real and realistically fictional.Don't Miss | Lokah Movie Review: Kalyani, Naslen deliver India’s finest superhero film; what Brahmastra and Kalki 2898 AD should have beenSet in the state capital of Thiruvanchipuram (like Thiruvananthapuram? May be), located not far from Kamalakumari (the resemblance to Kanniyakumari is intentional? Likely), the series chronicles the life of a group of five childhood friends — Arikuttan (Sanju Sivram), Kanji (Sreenath Babu), Maniyan (Shambhu), Althaf (Niranj Maniyanpilla Raju), and Moonga (Sachin Joseph). A large portion of their story unfolds in flashbacks, as narrated by Arikuttan to writer Maithreyan (Jagadish). Arikuttan reaches out to Maithreyan, settled in “Auran” of Maharashtra, to write his biography, documenting the history of his gang. It is Maithreyan who names them the 4.5 Gang, counting Moonga, a man with dwarfism, as half a person. Hailing from the lowest strata of Thiruvanchipuram, Arikuttan narrates their tumultuous lives, which began with petty crimes and eventually escalated to their rise as a mafia gang responsible for multiple murders too. What Arikuttan wants from Maithreyan is a retelling of their story from their own POV, whitewashing the 4.5 Gang and scrubbing away the stains associated with their names, thus recasting them as victims-turned-righteous warriors.Right from the outset, Krishand makes it evidently clear that he is not going to follow the typical gangster template, moving from one stock plot point to another. In fact, the central five aren’t even a quotation or contract gang by definition, but grow to become an organised crime syndicate due to the “turn of events”. While A-class gangsters smuggle gold and drugs, and B-class ones carry out hit jobs, C-class gangsters like the 4.5 Gang monopolised milk and flower markets, according to Arikuttan, which helped in their rise to the top. However, none of their actions were without repercussions. From jail sentences and physical attacks to infamy and the loss of loved ones, the 4.5 Gang experienced it all. As true as it was that their experiences and living conditions, exploited by the mastermind SI Suresh (Rahul Rajagopal), pushed the gang into the crime world, none of them were devoid of such tendencies, which is why they never truly gave up anything, even when they had the chance.Although Krishand explores the “socio-economic, cultural, and political factors” that shaped the growth of this Thiruvanchipuram gang, he never presents things in black and white, or infuses his opinions or biases to provide solid interpretations. The fact that it is not Krishand — acting as an omnipresent storyteller — but Arikuttan himself who narrates the story of the 4.5 Gang instils a sense of authenticity in the audience. However, considering his motive behind roping in Maithreyan to write the biopic, is anything that Arikuttan says true? Or is it all just a ploy to get Maithreyan to craft a compelling narrative for them, which can eventually be turned into a film or series, securing their fortunes forever? Since even Maithreyan likely doesn’t care if Arikuttan’s story is real or not, it ultimately doesn’t matter. However, even otherwise, 4.5 Gang demonstrates how easily “history” can be manufactured with the help of a skilled writer, a phenomenon prevalent in the current day and age in the country, with even the ruling party making such attempts to create worthy historical figures for itself.Despite the show featuring numerous characters and the story unfolding over several years starting from the ’90s, Krishand’s mastery as a writer shines through, as the events carry a wholeness and almost all characters — big or small, but if relevant to the tale of the 4.5 Gang — have proper and well-defined arcs. The only ones who are shoddily written, nonetheless, are the women, particularly those who don’t hold significant power in the city. While Arikuttan’s mother, sister, and girlfriend, Kingini (Santhy Balachandran), appear only when their presence marks a change or impact in his life, even Maniyan’s girlfriend, Pranitha (Zarin Shihab), exists only to contribute to his character growth. However, we see Ramani (Darshana Rajendran), the wife of a man the 4.5 Gang murdered, prominently in the story, as she is the “only woman” who “managed” to stand face-to-face with them and even cause their downfall. Although it was disheartening to see extraordinary talents like Zarin and Darshana going underused, it is such minutiae, even in the case of characterisations, that make the show near-perfect. From local goons Bruce Lee (Prashanth Alexander) and Pyelakuttan (Vishnu Agasthya) to Arikuttan’s father Balan (Indrans), music director Vamshi Anand (Vijayaraghavan), SI Stalin (Zhinz Shan), Suresh’s wife Shantha (Sai Gayathri), and Senthil (Vigneshwar Suresh), Krishand ensures that the story is crafted in such a way that only those relevant to the 4.5 Gang’s “gangster life” are given importance, as it’s all narrated by Arikuttan.Cinema Anatomy | Param Sundari: The Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor snoozefest is a testament to Bollywood’s extreme lazinessFrom the seamless intercuts between various timelines to the unique rhythm the filmmaker has given to each instance based on its core emotion, all brilliantly laced with impactful dark comedy and real-world references, 4.5 Gang ranks as a testament to Krishand’s cinematic mastery. The writer-director, throughout the series, also demonstrates how to include pop-culture references into the narrative organically, without them coming across as forced, thanks to his extraordinary dialogue-writing skills. At the same time, his brilliance shines the most in the ways he has subverted the stereotypes associated with various on-screen instances and the genre at large, thus offering a work that can be positioned among the likes of gangster classics like Vetrimaaran’s Vada Chennai (2018) and Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur (2012). In fact, it even provides a sense of realisation regarding just how much scope Abhilash Joshiy’s Dulquer Salmaan-starrer King of Kotha (2023) had, given the movie’s mammoth budget.Story continues below this adInterestingly, Krishand doesn’t limit 4.5 Gang to crime, comedy (with a bit of absurdism), and drama alone, but also in/directly touches upon significant topics like socialism, caste-class discrimination, the exploitation of the marginalised by the powerful, the hollowness of capitalism, and more. This ensures that, as fictional as it may appear, the show is anchored in the socio-economic and political fabric of Kerala, particularly in the state capital, where organised crime activities are shockingly rampant. “Whether you cheat, deceive or act unethically, as long as it’s for survival, it doesn’t matter,” Balan tells Arikuttan as a ‘universal truth’ of sorts. Krishand, nonetheless, also shows that this line of thought is not exclusive to any one person and explores what happens if everyone starts following that path. Right from the outset, Krishand makes it evidently clear that he is not going to follow the typical gangster template in The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang, moving from one stock plot point to another.The credit for the show’s extraordinariness also belongs to its cast and crew, particularly the actors portraying the members of the 4.5 Gang. While Sanju Sivaram delivers a knockout performance as the narrator, Sreenath excels as Kanji, one of the most intriguing psychopaths of all time in Malayalam. Sachin as Moonga is a sight to behold, while Shambhu and Niranj are equally brilliant, shining brightest in their most vulnerable moments. The role of Maithreyan proves why Jagadish is an unparalleled actor, while Rahul Rajagopal’s performance as SI Suresh is yet another feather in the actor’s cap.Although their characters are severely underwritten, both Santhy and Zarin still manage to make their presence felt. Meanwhile, the aura Darshana exudes as Ramani is unmatched, underscoring the untapped potential she clearly possesses. The music by Sooraj Santhosh and Varkey, including their songs, Vishnu Prabhakar’s cinematography, Sasi Kumar’s editing, Hamza Vallithode’s production design, and Shravan Satya’s stunts also deserve a standing ovation for their extraordinary contributions to the show, now streaming on SonyLIV.The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang cast: Sanju Sivaram, Sreenath Babu, Sachin Joseph, Shambhu, Niranj Maniyanpilla Raju, Jagadish, Darshana Rajendran, Santhy Balachandran, Zarin Shihab, Rahul RajagopalThe Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang director: KrishandThe Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang rating: 4.5 stars