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Tovino Thomas has garnered significant success with his portrayals of police roles, and his upcoming film Narivetta is sparking a sense of anticipation among audiences. This film marks the second directorial venture of Anuraj Manohar, who is taking a bold, new approach with this project, departing from the style of his debut feature, Ishq (2019).
While Ishq was a romantic drama thriller produced on a modest budget and earned a positive response with a 7.5 IMDb rating, Narivetta promises to be a far grittier and more intense film. It will be brutal, violent, socially relevant, and set in a tribal area. Now, let’s delve into the specifics of Narivetta.
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Across the globe, the state wields a monopoly on the legal use of violence, with the police acting as its enforcers. This control is, to some extent, necessary for maintaining order, yet when this power is abused, it becomes a dangerous force. Time and time again, we’ve witnessed the repercussions of such overreach. While democracies are designed with checks and balances to guard against this, there are moments when these safeguards fail, and the most vulnerable bear the brunt of it.
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This is the very essence of what the film aims to capture. From the looks of the trailer, it dives deep into the lives of those oppressed by such tyranny, those who suffer in silence, crushed by the weight of authority. Perhaps, this suffering is not accidental, but orchestrated by a system that benefits from it.
The story, inspired by real-life incidents, follows Tovino’s character, a lower-ranking officer, a mere foot soldier, who finds himself torn between his duty and his empathy for the tribals, who are fighting not just for survival, but against an oppressive, systemic injustice. It is a tale of revolution, one born from the flames of abuse, a call for change that echoes in the heart of the oppressed.
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Directed by Anuraj Manohar and written by Abin Joseph, Narivetta stars Tovino Thomas, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Priyamvada Krishnan, Arya Salim, Kumar Sethu, Rini Udayakumar, and Cheran. The film features music by Jakes Bejoy, cinematography by Vijay, and editing by Shameer Muhammed. It is produced by Shiyas Hassan and Tippu Ashan under the banner of Indian Cinema Company.
Narivetta is set to release on May 16, 2025, and is expected to have a wide theatrical rollout across Kerala.
The trailer was released on April 24, 2025. But the next evening, on April 25, YouTube took it down in India for a few hours following a copyright claim from Sony Music Entertainment. Thankfully, the issue was resolved later that night, and the trailer was back online.
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