Narivetta

Review: Narivetta - 7/10

First, my thanks to the entire Narivetta team. I wasn't fully aware of the real-life incident the film is based on, as I typically don't follow such news. That unfamiliarity made the storyline feel fresh and engaging. Though I recognized the real-life figures, their on-screen portrayals were both compelling and convincing.

The film moved at a steady pace with no noticeable lag. The scenes were thoughtfully crafted, and the storytelling held my attention throughout. One creative choice that felt unnecessary was the use of timestamps-they didn't add much value, in my opinion.

Casting was a definite highlight, lending a refreshing vibe to the film. The first half flew by, likely because I was deeply immersed. While the second half didn't lag, it did feel like the energy and narrative momentum dipped slightly.

The natural tone of the scenes-especially the dialogues among the Muthanga people and the realistic settings-added authenticity. That said, the performance of Tovino at the protest sequence felt out of place. Tovino's performance in that part leaned too much into melodrama, breaking the film's otherwise grounded feel.

The portrayal of relationships-mother-son, uncle-nephew, and romantic-was heartfelt and thoughtfully done. Certain emotional scenes stood out for their depth. Priyamvada Krishnan was particularly impressive, thanks to the nuanced writing of her character. Her dialogue exchanges with Tovino felt organic and real.

Cheran's performance reminded me at moments of Padmasree Murali, one of my all-time favorite Malayalam actors-not in terms of comparison, but in spirit. Cheran delivered a solid performance true to his role. Arya Salim showed great potential, and her performance was notably strong. Suraj Venjaramood, playing a key role, was effective, though I expected a bit more given his character's weight in the story.

The protest (or "war") scenes were executed with surprising clarity and control-an area where many films falter. Tovino, overall, performed well, though those particular scenes felt a bit overacted.

In summary, Narivetta is a well-crafted and absorbing film with a few minor flaws but a strong emotional core.

As always, this is just my personal perspective.

Sheejith Payyaratta.

Narivetta is a powerful and bold Malayalam film that brings to light the harsh realities still faced by lower caste and tribal communities in the 21st century. It courageously portrays the dark side of the police force, highlighting the systemic injustice and brutality that continues to affect marginalized people.

The film delivers a raw and emotional narrative, without sugar-coating the violence or the silence of the system. However, amidst this darkness, Tovino Thomas shines brilliantly as a symbol of humanity. He plays a police officer who defies the norms of a corrupt system. Instead of blindly following the orders of a tainted force, he takes a stand for justice-not for personal gain, but for the memory of a fallen colleague.

Tovino's character brings out the inner conflict of a man torn between duty and morality. His portrayal is deeply moving and layered, showing that even within flawed institutions, there can be individuals who choose the right path.

The film's message is clear and powerful: silence in the face of injustice is complicity. Narivetta is not just a film-it's a statement, a mirror to our society, and a call for introspection.

Overall the movie was satisfactory. In the first half tovino has no role just backing suraj but second half was nice. Acting was great and emotions connected well. The climax was too small can make it better. Arya salim performed well and priyamvatha krishnan was just for that song minnal vala. The tribal cultures shown there was good. The film tell deep about pand rights and slavery of tribles. In this movie music played a huge role the second half was carried by the music and the bgm. Some seena there are some logical oissues but it does not care while watching. Overall it is a one time watchable movie.

The movie is a really good one but the ending felt uncompleted. But the movie still gave out good awareness about the cruelties from the society against people facing problems and poverty. The actors did a great job from their part and they did not disappoint at all. The movie showed a good amount of romance from the protagonist and it was not disappointing either!. But the ending slipped a bit out of my expectations because it felt uncompleted. Like the continuation to the protagonist story after the ending will be a mystery, because no idea to that could be acknowledged. But the ending do gives audience endless ideas about what could've happened next!. Good job, team!. I enjoyed watched the movie.

This movie is claimed to be inspired by 2003 Muthanga protest by tribal community at Kerala. The entire movie is about the protest of Tribal men for their rights vs Atrocities of police on them. Movie is quite slow, first half is very shallow. Second half makes it a little worth it. This movie reminded me of 'Jai Bhim' Telugu movie which was centred around similar concept but that was brilliant. But this movie showcases nothing about the in depth struggles of Tribal community. Originally a Malayalam movie dubbed in all South Indian languages including Hindi. Available in SonyLiv, my ratings 6.5/10!