Tovino Thomas-starrer 'Narivetta' to hit big screen on May 23
Written by Abin Joseph, 'Narivetta' is directed by Anuraj Manohar. The film also stars Suraj Venjaramoodu of 'The Great Indian Kitchen' fame.
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The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
When the silver screen gives space to tribal land struggles
In Khalid Rahman's Unda (2019), a police officer from Kerala, played by Mammootty, who is given the responsibility of leading a team of officers to ensure that elections are conducted smoothly in Maoist-hit areas of Chhattisgarh, says to a tribal boy, 'This is your land, do not die'. Kerala has a strong, eventful, and often forgotten history of land struggles by tribal societies. While often sidelined, these struggles occasionally get its hands bloody (or find itself bleeding) and land a blow on the conscience of mainstream society, becoming the topic of intellectual discussions for a while, after which they again move to the shadows. However, once in a while, the Malayalam movie industry takes note of these events with either subtle nods inside a story or by creating an entire movie around such events. Three movies, different perspectives While Ranjan Pramod's Photographer (2006), K.M. Kamal's Pada (2022) and the recently released Narivetta by Anuraj Manohar effectively do only what the events themselves did — that is, nudge these issues into discourse for a short while — by etching them permanently in film however makes sure that the struggles of some of the most exploited communities are not forgotten. All three of the movies mentioned above are centred on or framed against the backdrop of the struggle of tribal communities in Kerala for autonomy over their own land, and how the State responded. In Narivetta, which is based on the true events surrounding the Muthanga protests and subsequent police shootings and brutalities, theprotagonist finds himself being a complicit part of the state machinery that is working to put out a peaceful protest by tribals for land that was promised to them. In Photographer, starring Mohanlal, the protagonist encounters a tribal boy facing police violence in a forest area. This was also based on the Muthanga incident detailed in Narivetta. In Pada, the makers revisit the actions of the 'Ayyankali Pada' — the youth organisation of the Kerala Communist Party formed under Maoist ideologies by former members of a Marxist-Leninist organisation that was dissolved in 1991. Pada shows how four members of the Ayyankali Pada held the collector of the Palakkad district hostage in response to amendments made to the Kerala Scheduled Tribes (Restriction on Transfer of Lands and Restoration of Alienated Lands) (KST) Act, 1975, in 1996. The KST Act deemed all tribal lands in the possession of non-tribal people through sale, lease, mortgage or by force after 1960 illegal, giving way for tribal people to take back their land. But it was never implemented in the way it was envisioned. In 1993, the Kerala High Court ordered the State government to implement the Act within six months, but that too went unfulfilled with the State asking for continuous extensions. And finally in 1996, the the Left-led government under E.K. Nayanar passed an amendment making transactions of tribal land made till 1986 legal. While Pada is an immediate response to the amendment, events of Narivetta take place after years of unfulfilled promises regarding the question of tribal land. While it can be criticised that the movie took the spotlight away from the struggling tribal people and gave it to the protagonist (highlighting his 'saviour complex'), it manages to disturb the blissful existence of the comfort class, much like Vetri Maaran with his Visaaranai and Viduthalai. Lesser-valued lives While it is commendable that movie makers choose to portray such events and bring them back to public discourse, there is a line that distinguishes genuine representation from mere tools for character building. Arousing sympathy in the audience for the downtrodden can easily slip away into re-establishing class politics. What Narivetta fails to do is break away from the idea of the need for a saviour to help bring up the downtrodden. It is necessary here to note another police movie that came out in Malayalam, a slow burner, that can describe the Muthanga incident in an even powerful way than Sikshayum (2022) by Rajeev Ravi is a simple tale of a group of policemen going out of their home turf in search of the accused who got away with a jewellery store heist. But the lead actor played by Asif Ali is plagued by his past, a montage that the movie opens with, where he shoots down a protester from an advancing group in a forest area. While the movie contains the disclaimer that the events are fictional, the protest can be compared to the Muthanga incident. But what Kuttavum Sikhshayum does is wrap up the whole conflict in a monologue before entering the climax, where the police officer opines how the killing, from the bullet that he fired, has vanished now, with no evidence and no one held responsible. The character played by Alencier, a subordinate to the protagonist, listens silently as the protagonist describes how protesters pelting stones forced the then-young officer to shoot, and how his aim went at the protester's chest rather than his legs, how higher officials saved him from any serious actions save enforced leave and how he is still tormented by the act. Alencier then breaks the fourth wall and stares at the audience for a split second, maybe to remind them of the killing, asking them how it got swept under the rug. Near the end of the movie, the protagonist once again, with a gun in his hand, comes face to face with a person who could pose harm to him. But the police officer does not shoot. Struggle for property has been a part of human life ever since nomadic hunter gatherers decided to settle down and cultivate the land around them. And for tribal people, who co-exist with 'modern' society, this struggle is not just for stability, but for existence. And cinema has its own way of reminding society of these struggles.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
‘Narivetta' box office collections day 25: Tovino Thomas starrer mints Rs 28.95 crores worldwide
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Tovino Thomas starrer 'Narivetta' is nearing the final stages of its theatrical run as its box office collections have started to taper off. Although the Tovino Thomas starrer had a strong initial response, the film has witnessed a significant dip in its daily earnings over the past week. According to the latest data from the Sacnilk website, the thriller film has earned a total of Rs 28.95 crore globally by the end of day 25. Collections slide after initial momentum Directed by Anuraj Manohar, 'Narivetta' had a promising start, boosted by the star power of Tovino Thomas and an ensemble cast including Suraj Venjaramoodu, Cheran, and Arya Salim. Narivetta | Song - Kaatinu Meyan However, the film's momentum slowed notably after the second weekend. On day 25, the film collected a mere Rs 9 lakhs, a sharp contrast to the early days when it was pulling in Rs 66 lakhs (day 15) and Rs 59 lakhs (day 14). As of now, the film has earned Rs 18.13 crore from India net collections, contributing to an India gross total of Rs 18.8 crore. Overseas, 'Narivetta' managed a respectable Rs 10.15 crore. No clear verdict yet Interestingly, the box office tracking sources have not yet declared an official verdict on the film's commercial success. With a worldwide total of nearly Rs 29 crore, the film may fall short of being labeled a hit unless it performs well in its remaining days or gets a strong second wind through re-releases or digital streaming. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play Chess on Your PC, Free Play Classic Chess Install Now Undo Strong performances, moderate reception Though the film was praised for its performances—especially that of Tovino Thomas and Suraj Venjaramoodu—it appears that the content struggled to sustain long-term audience engagement. ETimes review for the film read, "Abin Joseph's script does not have the emotional and cinematic power of Nayattu, which is also about power play and creating scapegoats to take the fall, within the force and adminstration, and Anurag, too, hasn't effectively used the different characters. Varghese gets his epiphany about the tribal issue too late into the story. Then, he goes through an overly dramatic transformation, which makes the storytelling feel fickle. And maybe the focus was too much building Varghese's character in the early part of the film, that the tribal issue felt a bit watered down. The main character would have been more effective as a voice of the agitation, rather than an outsider. Cinematographer Vijay has created a visual experience that is definitely big screen. And Jakes Bejoy has been killing it with his music."
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Time of India
Tovino Thomas trolls Basil Joseph: ‘Did you think you'd be spared, kid?; Check post here
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Mollywood actors Basil Joseph and Tovino Thomas hold a special bond off-screen, and recently, a throwback video of the 'Minnal Murali' director has taken the internet by storm. A childhood video of filmmaker and actor Basil Joseph, taken from the popular Malayalam quiz show, has gone viral, becoming a social media sensation. Basil Joseph's birthday celebrations The clip, affectionately dubbed the 'Kuthippokkal' video due to Basil's lively expressions and mannerisms, has long been a source of internet memes and affectionate trolling. As it made the rounds yet again, fans and celebrities alike joined the fun, reacting to the now-iconic footage of ninth-grade Basil competing with full intensity. Basil shares a childhood photo in response Responding to the renewed attention, Basil took to social media and posted a throwback photo from his childhood, showing him holding a guitar. Alongside it, he cheekily wrote, 'Not just Ashwamedham, had a bit of music in me too, guys.' Celebs join the fun with witty comments Basil's post triggered a wave of hilarious celebrity reactions. Actor Tovino Thomas, who shares a close friendship with Basil, commented, "സ്വയം കീഴടങ്ങിയാൽ വെറുതെ വിടുമെന്ന് കരുതിയോ കുഞ്ഞേ?" ('Did you think you'd be spared just because you surrendered willingly, kid?') Actor Siju Sunny joined in, asking, 'So that means another song is coming? Was this on Kochu TV?' ("അപ്പൊ ഒരു പാട്ട് കൂടി വരാൻ ഉണ്ടെന്ന് മനസ്സിലായി. കൊച്ചു ടീവീൽ ആണോ?") Veteran actor Suresh Krishna added his own twist with, 'Didn't know… no one told me anything,' referring to a movie dialogue. Check out the post here. Basil Joseph's work front On the work front, Basil Joseph was last seen in the crime comedy film 'Pravinkoodu Shappu', which received decent reviews from the audience. His recent film 'Maranamass' also received much acclaim from the audiences who love black humor. Basil Joseph's previous successful outing was the drama movie 'Ponman' , which was based on GR Indugopan's novel 'Naalanchu Cheruppakkar'. 'Ponman' received much praise from the audiences even after its OTT release. Meanwhile, Tovino Thomas was recently seen in the crime thriller film 'Narivetta'. Receiving decent reviews from the audiences, 'Narivetta' performed well at the box office.
