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'Narivetta' Movie Review: Tovino Thomas' Cop Drama Has a Slow But Sharp Ascent
Anuraj Manohar’s film inverts the conventional film cop trope, and instead tells us about a reluctant cop who discovers his purpose in life at a land rights protest.
Director: Anuraj Manohar
Writer: Abin Joseph
Cast: Tovino Thomas, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Cheran, Priyamvada Krishnan
Language: Malayalam
In many ways, Narivetta offers an intricate take on violence. We see it in when constable Varghese Peter (Tovino Thomas) attacks a lead protester after a local watchdog threatens his ego. We also see it through admirable head constable Basheer (Suraj Venjaramoodu), who prays that he never has to use a gun. And then, in an official who condones violence but turns into a different beast when eyes turn away. Anuraj Manohar expertly uses a genre that’s known for its well-documented glorification of violence to tell a story about the futility of violence, despite taking a few sluggish detours.
Varghese is a high-achieving civil services aspirant who prefers staying home rather than taking up a job that doesn’t tick his boxes: leading this criterion is power. So he slacks and eats into his aging mother’s savings, and also manages to piss off his supportive girlfriend Nancy (Priyamvada Krishnan). But when he is forced to take up a constable's job, his tumultuous journey helps him find his purpose. Thomas is perfect as Varghese, exhibiting the angst and nonchalance of the unemployed. While the film’s writing brings the on-screen cop much-needed reprieve through Varghese, the elongated portions involving his slow life at Kuttanad seem overstretched, especially when bigger things are waiting for Varghese and the film.
The film takes off post the first act, when a reluctant Varghese and a band of constables assemble at a protected forest land, taking on the tone of a gripping socio-political drama. Here we see heartfelt stories from a tribal community that is fighting for a land to call their home. Navigating discrimination and a pursuit of dignity, Adiyar Thami, a honey collector, shines in Narivetta, a brilliant representation of the community’s helplessness and strength. As Varghese learns about the lives of these protestors, he is confronted with the harsh realities of violence that surrounds his profession and the part he plays in various injustices.
It is in these scenes that Narivetta really comes into its own. Varghese is put in his place by the commanding officer Keshavadas (Tamil actor Cheran in his Malayalam film debut) when he shuts down his police hero theatrics. But when Varghese himself questions the larger systemic violence against the indigenous tribes, his concerns fall on deaf ears. An undercurrent of irony accompanies the script throughout the film, making it an intricate drama that questions many things. Helping Varghese fulfil his long-overdue coming-of-age is Basheer (Venjaramoodu is lovely as his guardian angel), who makes Varghese realise not just the futility of violence, but also the privilege of his uniform.
The film is said to be inspired by the 2003 Muthanga incident, where Adivasi land rights protestors clashed against police personnel in Muthanga, Wayanad, leading to a violent confrontation. Narivetta adapts a page out of the Kerala Adivasi land rights movement with tenderness and tenacity, the combination of which comes to life in a chilling pre-climax sequence reminiscent of a pivotal scene in Jigarthanda Double X (2023). Jakes Bejoy does a brilliant job, threading together the two opposite emotions in an impactful score.
The film might struggle to recreate tensions that procedurals often do — we see a big plot twist coming miles away, ripping any effect of suspense from the film. But that doesn’t mean Narivetta doesn’t pack in a few surprises. One of its biggest surprises lies in how it ties together its loose ends with just the right amount of restraint and resilience.