Director Anurag Manohar and writer Abhin Joseph take a while to find their footing, however they find their feet once the main plot of Adivasis begin. The story unfolds from the perspective of a rookie police constable played by a brilliant Tovino Thomas

Recently I saw a movie called Narivetta streaming on Sony Liv. For those who haven’t seen movie- the story is based on a real life Muthanga Tribal protest in the year 2003. The broad storyline of Narivetta encompasses the themes of land rights, state misusing its authority and the determination of marginalized communities. At the center of the plot is Tovino Thomas’s Varghese Peter.

The movie has a non linear format starting with Varghese running away from cops, they soon catch up taking him under custody. We come to know that Varghese himself is a police and as viewers we become instantly curious. From there we move to the flashback establishing the initial happy go lucky nature of the titular protagonist and how the gradual transformation happens.

A strong aspect of Narivetta is the layered characterization of Varghese Peter; Whether it is his lack of clarity in the beginning portions or the post interval part where Varghese understands the politics of his superior officers headed by Keshavdas (Cheran). How he comes to empathize with the protest of the tribals and stands for them gives the movie some of its best moments. Fighting for the Adivasis makes him realize his true purpose in life.

Tovino Thomas particularly shines during the stand off between the police and the Adivasis. These portions are brilliantly shot by cinematographer Vijay. The music of Jakes Bejoy also adds to the tension. Mention must also be made of Suraj Venjaramood as an empathetic police official Basheer. The friendship between Varghese and Basheer has also come out well leading to some poignant moments. Cheran in the role of grey shaded officer is also striking.

The movie has numerous scenes of police brutality shedding light on custodial torture and illegal detention. The depiction is very raw without any sugarcoating, it makes the viewers uncomfortable raising important questions about the injustices suffered by the marginalized.

Final word: Narivetta is an important social political drama which needs to be seen by one and all. The first half goes somewhat haywire with an additional subplot of a love story nevertheless the second half more than makes up for it.