4.5 Gang review: Fun, flaws, and a few solid punchlines

Despite an incredible ensemble and a storytelling style that keeps you engaged, 4.5 Gang aka Nalara Sangham, skips over its potential and fails to hit the mark. 

Indian cinema and its audience can never get enough gangster stories. Guns, violence, smuggling, fights, tragedy, revenge and a system that can be blamed for their choices - that's everything we need in a gangster story. Krishand's Nalara Sangham aka The Chronicles of 4.5 Gang, a Malayalam gangster comedy, has all of that and more. Unfortunately, it fails to live up to its full potential at times. The plot centers on a group of five, including a dwarf, which is where the name comes from. They come from a slum in Thrivandrum and aim to join the criminal world to earn easy money and realize their dream of ruling their city.

This gangster comedy explores the life of the gang through Arikuttan (Sanju Sivram), the main protagonist and member of the 4.5 Gang, who wants his story turned into an autobiography with the help of Mythreyan, a well-known novelist. After running away from the law following a crime that takes us a while to understand, he seems to be a criminal eager for fame in the mainstream media. He is willing to have his story made into a commercial film, with his favorite actor as the lead. Like any storyteller, Mythreyan is more than happy to do it, making it as fictional and commercially appealing as possible. Because what is a good gangster story without proper drama? While we enjoy their interactions, we realize that the gang isn’t as menacing as you might expect. Using a good mix of realism and comedy, we learn about these young men who wanted to be the top dog. It’s not just because they took on their first job on a whim, but also because they have always admired the power that comes with being the boss, which often happens to be people associated with crime. However, every time you think you’ll witness a gruesome crime, you are served a series of situations that bring more laughter than terror. 

Despite their meticulous planning and promises to stick to their strategies, the guys often find themselves in scenarios that end in a disastrous manner. This leads Mythreyan (Jagadish) to exaggerate these situations, making them seem even more horrific. These absurd mishaps and failed operations add a comedic flavor to otherwise clichéd scenarios, enhancing their engagement. They are simply a group of young men who have romanticized and idolized major crime leaders and gangsters without fully grasping the realities of that lifestyle. The 4.5 Gang consists of gangsters who are not very good at being criminals, yet they still somehow manage to commit crimes. In addition to the comedy that keeps you engaged, the storytelling style also helps fill the gaps in the plot. The graphics are visually appealing, never boring to look at, and the songs have a catchy quality that keeps you nodding your head throughout. The overall visual artistry deserves high praise. You enjoy the methodic breakdown of a past or the comedic dream sequences. The scenes that fall into rhythmic follow are engagingly therapeutic.

While the potential of the story is evident and intriguing in parts, the multiple character introductions and non-linear storytelling raise concerns about the lack of a concrete plot. It leaves the audience questioning where the narrative is headed. A lot happens as the gang tries to protect themselves from the revenge of their rivals, navigate romance and comment on the failing rehabilitation projects in their slum, but all of this feels half-cooked. A particularly dynamic segment centered around Senthil (Vigneshwar Suresh), a character who adeptly blends heroism, humor, and fear, was disappointingly neglected despite his great potential. Similarly, Darshana Rajendran’s portrayal of Ramani, the vengeful matriarch gangster, is underutilized and sidelined. The subtle rivalry between SI Suresh and Maniyan(Shambu Suresh) also gets lost amid the chaos. Moreover, the show fails to engage us in Arikuttan’s life, even though he is the main lead guiding us through the lives of the 4.5 Gang. The characters who truly shine and capture our attention are Altaf (Niranj Maniyanpilla),Kanji (Sreenath Babu), and Clerk Balachandran(Indrans). Each of them brings their character to life, cleverly masking their potential for crime with impeccable comic timing, even though I would have liked to see more of Kanji’s psychotic behavior.

Even though 4.5 Gang may not fully live up to the depth of its premise, with loose ends and underused characters weighing it down, it is an entertaining watch that will keep you hooked with its quirky humor, striking visuals, and committed performances. If you’re willing to look past the flaws, it’s a fun watch that proves crime stories don’t always have to be dark to be engaging.

4.5 Gang is now streaming on SonyLIV!