Based on true events, Kannur Squad follows the story of members of the Kerala Police who investigate the murder of an influencial person by chasing the culprits across the country. The premise of the story isn’t novel even to the Malayalam Film Industry who had previously produced Kuttavum Shikshayum that had a similar premise which was also previously made in Tamil titled ‘Theeran’. And my little skepticism with the film did lie with exactly this aspect on whether this is the same story which is retold. But all my fears were evaporated with this splendid story which may have a similar skeleton to it but is told with a lot of flair. The screenplay standing at about 160 minutes does make for an engaging watch from start to finish while dabbling with some of the common curveballs of the story from this genre. It is compelling and absolutely riveting in its approach.

And what is the drama without the perfect world building and character development in a Malayalam Film?? I can say this with a lot of pride that it is only the Malayalam Film Imdustry which has been consistent with its world building and character development even in films that may not have quite been appealing. That is the case here as well, wherein the makers get the setting spot on from the word go. The dense jungles at what seemed like a Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, did add a layer on intrigue straight away to the proceedings. You are slowly introduced to the protagonist in grand fashion as he and his team members look to nab the culprits. At this point, we do not know much about what the case is. As it turns out, this event is being narrated to a reporter, on how the investigation transpired followed by the ‘Kannur Squad’ nabbing the culprits. This 20 odd minute sequence sets the ball rolling perfectly for the events to follow.

The proceedings are engrossing and riveting once the main case is assigned to the team who has been disbandoned due to friction between its team members. So the writers here add another layer to the events by introducing the character dynamics between the members of the team as they stand. Another layer added is adding a time limit of 10 days to crack the case. This was really a good move given that it added to the overall urgency of the drama. And once the investigation begins, each piece of the jigsaw begin to fit in slowly, this while the viewers are also introduced to the antagonist of the film.

While the first hour might seem like just a buildup of sorts, the second hour was perhaps one of the most riveting halves of the year with the action spreading across the country owing to the manhunt. The portions of investigation transpiring first in Mumbai and later in Uttar Pradesh did add a freshness to the tale while continuing to be rooted in reality(with mild creative liberties). The entire sequence that transpires at the village was one of the most nail-biting and tense sequences that I have watched this year. There was tension in the air which was sliced with acts of violence resulting in a riveting watch!

Along the way, the plight of the cops are also tapped upon almost as an undercurrent. But the difference between Kuttavum Shikshayum and Kannur Squad was in its approach wherein the former was more of a docu-style approach of cracking the case while the other was relatively in the commercial space. And both worked for me! The events leading up to the final act are interesting with a few twists and turns along the way wherein you feel that the team may have hit a dead-end, only to emerge out of it. The final act was fan service from Mammootty and a tad underwhelming but taking nothing away from the compelling journey that the writers take you on. Overall, the writing is brilliant and made for a wonderful watch.