CID Films in Malayalam | Satellite Phones and Nuclear Power

I’ve been in a renewed state of love with the Rayban Olympian II after watching CID Nazir recently. He also flaunted this in Love in Kerala (1968) and I recollect in one fleeting scene in Lankadahanam (1971), so I presume this was a very important accessory and part of the ‘official’ style statement of the celluloid CID officers. Moreover, it goes perfectly fine with ALL the disguises ! Isn’t that wonderful ? If this looks like am surreptitiously pushing the product, please bear in mind that love can make you do strange stuff. :).

Anyways, the whole point in writing this is to celebrate the ‘ingenuity’ of those prop designers of the CID films, who, I feel got really, really carried away by the task and in the end gave us celluloid environments/domains that literally made one pick up one’s lower jaw from the floor . Maybe, director Venu ( in this case), was just wishing for an ‘incredulous’ effect but, I always think he pushed that term a bit too far. It also makes me really, really want to watch its predecessor, Detective 909 Keralathil (1970) and check out the place in there too.

Incredulous Overpowering Techniques.

The gadgets and style statements were very significant, but I have noticed something that was more ‘significant’, ‘unique’ and ‘incredulously humorous’ in CID Nazir. I really think the main reason for my love for the “Dettetteeeve Movies” was its unabashed celebration of the bizarre, the incredulous and trite with hardly a care in the celluloid world. Logic and rationale were clearly wrapped in tin foil, mothballed and kept away for future use. Take for example, the CID’s approach to his adversaries/goons/members who belong to the dreaded syndicate. The last thing I would expect PN 007 would do to his killer-for is this !
Which Special Operations Command Training Center teaches them to do this ?! Heck, I use to do that in my 3rd grade.

If CID Nazir tapped into his childhood to bring out some lethal moves, would his subordinate officer be far behind ?

Fleeing for dear life ?! C’mon, they taught you to do better than that.

If this wasn’t enough, Officer Bhasi also introduced me to a specialised Far Eastern overpowering technique which I think has been hardly used before or since.
I would like to call it the “Car Door Jam and Slap Technique” which though, looks easy on first glance, needs a very sophisticated sense of co-ordination and perfect timing. Ever tried it?

World’s first Satellite /Mobile Phone.

The gadgets that CID Nazir introduced were also very, very ‘special’. Take for example, Miss Louvvelly‘s hand-held communication device that enables her to manage a two-way conversation with the Baaasss.
Though it uncannily resembles a size AA handheld cheap flashlight, I am willing to still believe that I might have been looking at the world’s first satellite phone, right here in Kerala. What say?

Long-term Visions.

The futuristic vision of Baaass does not end there. For example, I am yet to come across another Baaass on screen, from another crime syndicate in any language that runs a tighter ship than the one right here. The gentleman has even provided payphones in the Lair so that the boys of the syndicate can keep themselves connected to the world without getting out and booking a trunk call.
Ingenious, wouldn’t you say? Avoids productive time being wasted, and also brings in a steady stream of revenue, that too from the Boys. Am guessing he must have provided a whole lot of them at strategic places inside the Lair.

Advocating Clean Energy for Dark Deeds.

From Finance, his long-term strategies include Power also. Right through the movie, one comes across these clunky, boxy 3-phase main switches mounted on walls flanked by the then standard MEM rewirable fuse holders sans the plug-ins. Surely, he must have fixed these to disorient the CID Officer.

I am suspecting an alternate source of power, mostly atomic ( speculating here), as that would be an entirely different custom-made system altogether. Also, I wouldn’t presume the Baaasss must have  hotwired the circuits to bypass the Electric Meters provided by the State Electricity Department. For one, there weren’t any visible in the movie. Come to think about it, should I really believe a friendly, neighborhood department guy visting the Lair once a month to record the readings and issue a consumer bill?  C’mon !!!!!

Our CID films were really years ahead of its original peers, when one comes to think of it. There must have been other gems that I missed in CID Nazir , which I would love to know about. If you can recall, write in.  I really look forward to those.

Related : CID Films in Malayalam | CID Nazir (1971)

Related : CID Films in Malayalam | James had it coming !