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Narivetta movie review: Tovino Thomas's action drama is a triggering reminder of a crimson-stained chapter in Kerala's history

Narivetta movie review: After he beats up an Adivasi youth at the protest site, we see a clear and significant shift in the way Constable Varghese Peter (Tovino Thomas) is treated by his colleagues. The same senior officers who were previously cold towards him, often schooling and punishing him for his short temper, suddenly begin to show him warmth. They even allow him to drink with them, praising him for doing 'the right thing' by giving the Adivasi youth 'what he deserved'. After all, it was because of the youth and his people protesting that these officers were deployed to the site, far away from their base. And why would the police be concerned about why the Adivasis are protesting? It's not like they, during their passing-out parades, take an oath to 'serve the public, while upholding the dignity and rights of individuals as enshrined in the Constitution.' Oh wait; they do take that oath, don't they?! But if history (not the state-sponsored version) has taught us anything, it's that the marginalised have never been served what is rightfully theirs. Only those who have managed to unite and raise their voices have won even a fraction of justice, for which too they have often had to pay hefty prices. Anuraj Manohar's sophomore directorial venture, the action drama Narivetta, is a semi-fictionalised, triggering reminder of such a crimson-stained chapter in Kerala's history. In Cheeyambam, Wayanad district, a storm of protest is brewing against the state government's delay in allotting land to the Adivasis, which was promised by the Chief Minister a year and a half ago. Under the aegis of the Gothra Sabha (similar to the actual Adivasi Gotra Maha Sabha, AGMS), the protestors enter a protected forest area and erect huts, asserting that the land rightfully belongs to them. Although government representatives attempt to pacify the protestors, they stand their ground and refuse to budge without receiving what was promised. As the protest goes beyond the one-month mark with no resolution in sight, the authorities begin to worry that it might tarnish the 'image' of the government. Thus, they start considering immediate solutions, regardless of the measures. With the police entering the scene, tensions rise, and the situation begins to escalate. Varghese Peter (Tovino Thomas), a young man who never wanted to join the force in the first place, finds himself among the deployed officers. And his allegiance, at least at first, lies with the force; he is prepared to do whatever it takes to suppress the protest. However, as events unfold, he witnesses scenes and incidents that make him question his true duty and purpose. Nonetheless, can a mere constable and a marginalised population with no other possessions but their lives stand up to a system, protected by armed forces, that doesn't give two hoots about them? Cleverly set in Cheeyambam, just a few km from Muthanga — where a firing incident and subsequent massacre occurred in 2003 — Narivetta opens with Milan Kundera's words from The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, 'The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.' Even the film's trailer underscores that Narivetta is a tribute 'to every battle for justice; every fight against injustice.' As in his debut film Ishq (2019), Anuraj Manohar once again delves deeply into his subject matter, unearthing its most gruesome facets. Along with writer Abin Joseph, he adopts a no-holds-barred approach, striving for an unfiltered, raw depiction. Following a nail-biting opening, the film takes us to the ooru (hamlet) where the tribal community lives in dire poverty. Here, unlike many mainstream films that either neutralise dialects or exploit them for cheap humour — as seen in Ali Akbar's atrocious Bamboo Boys (2002) — Narivetta commendably presents the characters speaking in their indigenous dialect (accompanied by subtitles for the uninitiated). However, once the community is introduced (note here, introduced only as a group), the film swiftly shifts its focus to Kuttanad, where Varghese lives. From this point onward, Narivetta falls into the familiar trap of becoming yet another commercial film, revolving around a non-tribal hero and his life. Even Varghese's familial conflicts, his wounded ego about taking a small job and his romantic relationship are explored in great depth. In stark contrast to the tribal characters, Varghese, his family, and even his lover Nancy (Priyamvada Krishnan) and her family members are all given names, identities and substantial screentime. The tribal characters, however, are never individualised; they remain nameless, reduced to the backdrop and simply as part of a protesting group. The only ones whose names we, at least at times, hear are the Adivasi youth Thaami (Pranav Teophine) and tribal rights activists Shanthi (Arya Salim) and Madhu (Prasanth Madhavan). Later, at the police camp, Varghese befriends Head Constable Basheer Ahmed (Suraj Venjaramoodu), who also comes with a backstory. Even as the film progresses, we are only shown glimpses of the Adivasi lives, while the narrative remains heavily focused on the police, particularly Varghese and Basheer. Contrast this with films like Mari Selvaraj's Karnan (2021), Vetrimaaran's Asuran (2019), or even TJ Gnanavel's Jai Bhim (2021) to an extent, where the narratives unfold through the eyes of the marginalised, giving them identities and voice, and don't use the struggles of the oppressed merely to serve the character arcs of the powerful or privileged. In Narivetta, however, we see the Adivasis largely from the perspective of those on the other side of the fence, the police. As a result, Narivetta ends up as yet another story about the marginalised, but unfairly told through the gaze and POV of the oppressors. The film not only effectively captures how the state and its forces attempt to suppress Adivasi protests — particularly by attributing alleged Maoist connections — it also reveals the mindset of the powerful toward social movements, exemplified in Varghese's lament, 'This feels like we are guarding them,' despite that being a fundamental duty of the police. To its credit, Narivetta does not reduce the entire episode to the ego or cruelty of a single senior police officer or politician either. Instead, it astutely positions characters like DIG R Keshavadas (Cheran) as representatives of the broader system that enables and orchestrates such anti-human acts. However, as the film enters its final act, we are bombarded with (unfortunately familiar) images of brutal violence against the Adivasi community. From elderly people being crushed and a child being gunned down, to women being dragged across the floor and even a dog set on fire, the scenes are deeply disturbing. What makes it more problematic is that these moments are some of the only times many of these characters receive any real screentime. The fact that their visibility is limited to being victims of atrocity speaks volumes. Although Abin's writing manages to hit the audience hard, the dialogues often feel unpolished and contrived. The weak characterisations, particularly the jarring inconsistencies in Varghese's, further detract from the overall experience. Like many films that addressed similar themes problematically, Narivetta is, without a doubt, technically top-notch. Vijay's cinematography and Shameer Muhammad's editing stand out the most, beautifully capturing and presenting the narrative's nuances, the complexity of the characters, and the ethos of the landscape. Anuraj Manohar's direction — especially in portraying the tension between the police and the Adivasis — is also commendable. However, the film falters significantly when it comes to subtlety; much of the messaging is overt. Even when visual metaphors are used, they often fail to leave the intended impact. Jakes Bejoy's music, as usual, elevates the film's emotional weight, even managing to uplift moments that might otherwise have fallen flat. Amal Chandran's makeup and Ranganaath Ravee's sound design also deserve recognition. Tovino Thomas is solid as Varghese, but in scenes set in his hometown of Kuttanad, both his performance and dialogue delivery often come across as artificial. At times, it feels like he's trying too hard to adhere to the dialect, which affects the naturalness of his portrayal. His emotional scenes, particularly with Nancy, also fall short. Suraj Venjaramoodu, though reliably strong, never quite soars, something that must also be attributed to writing that occasionally fails to support the talent of the cast. Cheran is spectacular as DIG Keshavadas, yet his character feels underdeveloped despite receiving considerable screentime. Arya Salim, on the other hand, delivers a standout performance as Shanthi (a character based on social activist CK Jaanu). Priyamvada Krishnan's portrayal, though decent, ends up being not very convincing. Narivetta movie cast: Tovino Thomas, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Cheran, Priyamvada Krishnan, Arya Salim Narivetta movie director: Anuraj Manohar Narivetta movie rating: 3 stars Anandu Suresh is a Senior sub-editor at Indian Express Online. He specialises in Malayalam cinema, but doesn't limit himself to it and explores various aspects of the art form. He also pens a column titled Cinema Anatomy, where he delves extensively into the diverse layers and dimensions of cinema, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourse. Anandu previously worked with The New Indian Express' news desk in Hyderabad, Telangana. You can follow him on Twitter @anandu_suresh_ and write (or send movie recommendations) to him at ... Read More