Written by Abin Joseph, the little issue that I had with Narivetta was right at the start in the first act. For me, the backstory of Varghese in his bid to finally budge and become a police officer, took a little longer than I would have expected. I understood the thinking of the writer here, of setting up an environment for the protagonist that was deeply personal while having to justify his bid in having to take up the job of a police constable. But because there was so much to be discovered later on, I wished that the focus could have been slightly more on the central event while just having a cold opening from Varghese’s first day in the office, much like the character of Soori in Viduthalai – Part 1 (2023). What that would have allowed is to create a layered and an unpredictable environment for the viewers to, while exploring the deeply political dynamics of the world through Varghese’s gaze. But thankfully, the writing finds its mojo soon after!

The nuggets of politics in the drama isn’t restricted only to the character of Varghese. In a scene in the first act itself, there is a fleeting moment of a honey-picker doing all the hardwork to pluck the honeycomb, and later extract honey with his bare hands stinging with bee-bites, only to be paid way lower than his expected amount. Further, the hierarchy of power did extend to the tribal characters too – a little girl child been asked to play elsewhere while being bullied by a group of boys, signifying the caste differences in the same group as well. And hence, the political demarcation is a conflict within a conflict here, even though the prime focus lies with respect to the conflict between the police force and the tribals headed by C K Shanthi (Arya Salim; a character based on C K Jaanu), over a land dispute that forces a stand-off of sorts! And in the midst of it, is also Varghese who is assigned his first major assignment despite wanting to prepare for his civil service examinations.

The setting here plays an important role here, particularly because of how tough the terrain is for the police officers here. In a way, the terrain itself was a commentary on the plight of the police officers who weren’t necessarily equipped to be placed in such a setting. This, while the tribal characters always had a added advantage with respect to this aspect of the face-off. At the heart of things, lies the dynamics between Varghese and his warm bond that he shares with his senior Basheer (Suraj Venjaramoodu). The latter is empathetic and kind towards the former, saving him from the brawl that Varghese initiates, only to calm him down and make him aware of the political repercussions around it. Basheer remains that big brother to Varghese who doubles up as his guiding light, a dynamic that reminded me of the bond that Elwood and Turner share in the incredible film Nickel Boys (2024). But a rider in such relationships always is, that they would end in a tragedy!

The metamorphosis of Varghese can be determined through two scenes – one, at the start of the second act wherein you witness Varghese attacking a local stray dog without a purpose only to be embroiled in a brawl with a local, to the conflict that Varghese is inflicted with during the iconic riot scene, wherein his heart and mind aren’t on the same page. And the drama in between these two events, marks the political awakening on a character that remained naive to begin with while coming to terms with the power dynamics around him. The drama remains predictable, wherein the ‘sudden’ U-turn of a character can be seen from a countrymile, but you always remain invested in the drama because of the gaze of Varghese, and the inner turmoils that the character faces with respect to the shifting equations with characters, and the multiple losses that he deals with.

There is an infuriating streak that will engulf the viewers during scenes of mass torture (that still doesn’t match the all in strikes in the Vetrimaaran film Vidhuthalai – Part 1 (2023) or Visaranai (2015)), coupled with the antics of a couple of characters that further aggravate the emotions. And I liked how a subtext in the character arc of Varghese was explored too – from having a bravado about the world to literally feeling hopeless in the mix of things (with a glimpse of his rebellious alter ego and conscience). The riot scene is iconic because there are multiple conflicting emotions in play when viewed through the gaze of Varghese, who unwillingly has to be a party to the events even after the riot dies down. In that regard, the finale remains grounded and doesn’t necessarily transform Varghese into a superhero, while leading the drama to a grounded conclusion. And I liked how the character’s basic traits weren’t compromised, while doubling up as a fascinating character study of sorts and a metamorphosis of a character that remains conflicted. So, the screenplay here is quite well written and makes for a wonderfully poignant watch.