Nadirshah started off his filmmaking journey with two successive hits, Amar Akbar Anthony (2015) and Kattappanayile Rithwik Roshan (2016), which both primarily focused on his strength—comedy. But ever since then, Nadirshah’s career graph has seen a steep fall with his next three films failing to make any impact. His latest release Once Upon a Time In Kochi has him collaborating with Raffi, also known for his prowess in handling comedy. The duo has taken the growing drug menace in Kochi as the crux to spin a story, covering all commercial ingredients—romance, dance, humour, action, twists—but nothing in the right proportions.
The film starts off with a song featuring hand puppets with images of the lead pair, Devika Sanjay and Mubin M Rafi. But don’t ask anything about its relevance. In hindsight, it is one of the most bizarre openings for a film like this. Haibi (Mubin) and Janaki (Devika) were in a relationship during their IELTS coaching days, but they broke up midway after she moved to the UK for higher studies.
When they meet a few years later, Haibi learns that Janaki is into drug peddling to repay her loans. Haibi, who still nurses feelings for her, also joins her without realising the risks attached. Parallely, Anand Das (Arjun Ashokan), a forthright young cop, is on a mission to wipe out drugs from the city. The conflict begins when these three characters meet and their plans get intertwined.