Narivetta movie review
Cast: Tovino Thomas, Priyamvada Krishnan, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Cheran
Director: Anuraj Manohar
Rating: ★★★.5
In 2003, Kerala saw the Muthanga uprising, which saw an Adivasi protest in Wayanad turn into a violent clash between the police and the tribals. It resulted in numerous deaths and became an event that was a stain in the history of Kerala. The incident was rooted in long-standing grievances of the Adivasi communities, particularly over land rights, forest access, and broken promises by the government. This incident became a turning point in Kerala’s tribal movement and led to wider debates about Adivasi autonomy, forest rights, and land reform. Director Anuraj Manohar was inspired by this true story and wrote Narivetta (Leopard Hunt), which depicts the power play between police and politics.
What’s the story
Living in Kuttanad, 28-year-old Varghese (Tovino Thomas), who’s in love with Nancy (Priyamvada Krishnan), is intelligent yet wayward and stubborn, dismissing all the jobs he gets as not ‘respectable’. Fed up with his antics, Nancy breaks up with him, telling him to sort himself out, and he’s eventually forced to join the CPRF as a constable. But joining the force doesn’t make Varghese any less arrogant or stubborn. In fact, his seniors taunt him, wanting to teach him a lesson, but compassionate Officer Bashir Ahmed (Suraj Venjaramoodu) takes him under his wing and becomes his mentor-cum-friend.
At Cheeyambam in Wayanad district, the Adivasis begin a protest in a protected forest area, demanding that the government allocate the land promised to them. Sensing this could blow up into a major incident, a CPRF team is assigned to support the police, and a reluctant Varghese and Officer Bashir find themselves heading to Wayanad. And this is when the real story unfolds. When Bashir is sent into the forest along with a colleague by DIG R Keshavadas (Cheran) and doesn’t return, an emotional Varghese is driven by their friendship to investigate this. As the story moves forward, we see Varghese learn about the nexus between politics and the police, and how truth is not always on the right side of the law. Varghese, who doesn’t hold any ideological principles, comes into his own suddenly, believing it’s his duty to do what’s right, come what may.
The verdict
What makes Abin Joseph’s script compelling is the strong emotional undercurrent that is part of everyone’s life story, be it Varghese, Bashir or the tribals. Each of the characters has been given a voice of their own, and through Varghese, Narivetta focuses more on the police rather than the oppressed. However, it superbly showcases how the state and the police conspire to suppress the already marginalised and Varghese’s expose shows how not all working for the state may agree with this narrative. The violent clash between the police and tribals is a stark reminder that such atrocities continue to exist today, and people need to be aware of the realities of many communities.
Abin Joseph’s characterisations – especially of Varghese and Bashir and their friendship – is one of the main highlights of the film. It is thanks to Bashir that Varghese finds his moral compass and purpose in life, and this is well-narrated. Ideally, Varghese making this discovery earlier on in the story would have made the film more compelling and his fight more impactful. The first half was slightly sluggish because too much time was spent on the romantic angle (this could have been trimmed) versus the main story, but it picked up significantly in the second half as the main conflict unfolded.
Similar films on this theme
There have been films made on a similar theme by Tamil directors like Vetrimaaran (Viduthalai), Mari Selvaraj (Karnan) and TJ Gnanavel (Jai Bhim). These films were more hard-hitting because some had the oppressed narrate the story, while others had unique methods of showcasing the oppression by the police or politicians. However, Narivetta makes an impact as Tovino Thomas superbly helms this film with his fine performance, and the transformation from a happy-go-lucky guy to a man with a larger mission is commendable. Tovino as Varghese goes through a myriad of emotions, and he holds the audience’s attention every step of the way. Suraj Venjaramoodu’s performance is another highlight of this film, but Cheran as Keshavadas was a let-down. One felt an actor with a bigger screen presence was required for this small but significant role in the story. Jakes Bejoy’s music added to the movie’s emotional quotient, striking a chord in tempo with the heavy visuals.
Director Anuraj Manohar has ensured that he delivers a movie that makes an impact on the audience. Narivetta is not an easy watch at times, but it is designed to make you uncomfortable and question the system. The movie is a compelling watch thanks to Tovino Thomas’ excellent performance and the hard-hitting theme that stirs your emotions.