(SPOILER WARNING) In Anuraj Manohar's Narivetta, there is a pivotal scene at the conclusion when Tovino Thomas's character Varghese confronts Thaami (Pranav Teophine), one of the members of the tribal group. Varghese momentarily believes that Thaami is aiming the wooden spear at him as the two of them are in the middle of a riot and Thaami lifts the spear to aim. But it's not. The spear strikes directly on the front glass shield of the police vehicle, flying ahead just above his head.

The tale centers around Varghese

This is a blatant declaration: The major issue is the whole corrupt system, not Thaami's personal resentment of any particular police officer. In its compelling and gritty portrayal of the Muthanga tragedy of 2003, the new film Narivetta nearly makes a case for itself. Despite its compelling narrative and well-executed performances, the movie has one major flaw: its perspective issues. From the perspective of a male protagonist (Varghese), whose tale of morality and honesty prevails over the primary motives of a narrative steeped in systemic corruption and heinous violence, the picture centers.

In Narivetta, who should the viewer care about? At the conclusion of the movie, whose story should be told? The answer that is suggested from the start is Varghese. The audience is introduced to the plot via Varghese, whose perspective is the main focus of the movie. Varghese reluctantly accepts the role of a police constable as a last-ditch attempt to improve his family's situation. His meet-cute encounters with his girlfriend Nancy (Priyamvada Krishnan) place him as a nice person who wants to improve his life, and we see him spending his days in the hamlet. Life becomes lot harder for him as he enters the army with good motives, and then has to deal with the injustices and deaths that take place in the shadows of government machinery.

In the meanwhile, the tale includes a parallel plot in which we see how Thaami's life as a member of the tribal community is consistently abused and humiliated by the villagers. He sympathizes with the tribal population, who have lived on their ancestral territory for centuries and are now threatened by the state's demand for eviction in the name of forest preservation. Because if they don't defend for their own lives, who else will? They have no option but to protest. With the other members of the community, he continues to participate in a sit-in demonstration in the forest, refusing to quit the land until their demands are fulfilled.

However, the community's primary concern is dramatized in a manner that is passive and simple in its approach in Narivetta. Through the perspective of Varghese alone, the audience learns about these individuals and their wants. The irony of this narrative, where the trauma and violence perpetrated against a community are seen through an outsider's perspective, is located there. It nearly mirrors the actual loss of control and ownership that the community unintentionally protested. Aside from a few scenes at the beginning that simply provide a detached and structured explanation, the audience is unable to see the truth about these men and women.

The issue of point of view

The critical issue of perspective is brought out by choosing to focus this narrative on Varghese. Ultimately, is Narivetta a tale that only Varghese can tell? The film's last telling card, which highlights the male protagonist's righteousness and integrity, serves as a compelling reminder that such men and such moral awareness exist. However, this created authority makes me question why the movie, despite its strength and necessity, chose this perspective in the first place. The narrative of Thaami deserved a more sophisticated and nuanced lens. In a narrative that derives its protagonist's energy from the tragedy inflicted upon his own family, he plays a supporting role.

The systemic corruption and power struggle ingrained in state government as a whole are brought to light by Varghese's presence. The movie may have been entirely focused on the fate of Head Constable Basheer (played by the excellent Suraj Venjaramoodu) if these specifics had been given more attention. Varghese's ability to unravel the perplexing truth behind these acts of violence committed against those around him gives his character the impetus to advance the plot. That mark of responsible declaration is where the movie is headed. Nevertheless, Narivetta continues to be quite potent, and despite its somewhat logical conclusion, it needs your undivided focus.

SonyLiv offers live streaming of Narivetta.

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