Abin Joseph was a teenager preoccupied with his studies when Thalappavu, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, was released in 2008. In 2025, Abin is the scriptwriter of Narivetta, the newest Malayalam film starring Tovino Thomas as Varghese. He has also received numerous awards for his short stories. In a candid conversation with OTTplay, Abin shares the reason behind choosing Varghese as the main character and recalls the most notable praise he received for Narivetta. Since Narivetta accomplished what Prithiraj's film could not over 17 years ago, it was written by Babu Janardhanan of Thalappavu.

Joseph in Narivetta, winning praise from Thalappavu writer

The 2025 Malayalam film Narivetta, directed by Anuraj Manohar and written by Abin Joseph, centers on a standoff between the police and the tribals. Cop Varghese, who fights for tribal justice, is the protagonist. However, anyone who knows about the Naxal occurrences in Kerala understands the importance of the name. Naxal Varghese or Varghese is an actual individual who fought for the rights of indigenous people.

Abin Joseph responded, "Yes, it was intentional to name Tovino Thomas' character after me," when OTTplay inquired about the motive behind the name. Because he worked for the indigenous people, I gave the character that name, but the character is not based on him.

Remarkably, the Malayalam movie Thalappavu, directed by Madhupal, which starred Prithviraj Sukumaran as the Naxalite who was killed in a bogus police shootout, portrayed Varghese's story. But what really sets it apart is that Abin was congratulated on the success of Narivetta by Thalappavu author Babu Janardhanan.

"Thalappavu scriptwriter Babu Janardhanan phoned me right after Narivetta was released." I've never met him in person. However, he called me after obtaining my number from someone else. Abin remembered him telling me that he was very pleased that we narrated this story in the film and that it was a success, particularly at this time.

"It gave me goosebumps. I didn't anticipate this at all. The fact that he, as a seasoned author, contacted me. I have never spoken to or met him. He has tried his hand at important topics like Vasthavam. Abin added that he phoned to express his delight when such a significant movie became a smash.

The compelling narrative of Thalappavu, in particular, garnered a lot of critical praise and numerous Kerala State Film awards, but the movie did not draw crowds to the theaters. The fact that a significant film like Narivetta, which addressed tribal concerns, could become a hit in 2025 is certainly good news for filmmakers wishing to tackle realistic themes.

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