Narivetta

<p>Varghese Peter is an uneager assigned to a remote tribal region. As he immerses himself in the local milieu, he becomes increasingly aware of the systemic injustices faced by the tribal communities, particularly concerning land ownership and displacement. The tribal populace, having resided on their ancestral lands for generations, faces eviction under the pretext of and development in . Their peaceful protests are met with escalating force, leading to tensions between the community and law enforcement. Basheer Ahammed, a seasoned head constable, often finds himself torn between duty and empathy, serving as a mentor to Varghese. The arrival of Raghuram Keshavadas introduces a higher level of authority determined to suppress the uprising, viewing it as a threat to . Basheer’s sudden death, covert execution ordered by Keshavadas disillusions Varghese, and as confrontations intensify, he grapples with his conscience, witnessing firsthand the brutalities inflicted upon the very people he is sworn to protect. The narrative crescendos to a harrowing climax, reflecting the tragic events reminiscent of the Muthanga incident, where state machinery clashes violently with indigenous resistance. was cast in the lead role, marking his first collaboration with Anuraj Manohar. Priyamvada Krishnan was cast as the female lead. The film also features , , , Rini Udayakumar in lead roles. Principal photography began on 26 July 2024 with a traditional pooja ceremony held in , attended by and the crew. The first schedule started in , with filming taking place in Kavalam, Pulinkunnu, and Changanassery. The second schedule began on 26 October 2024 in and concluded on 18 December 2024. The entire shoot was completed in 65 days. The announcement motion poster was released on 21 July 2024, confirming , , and as the lead cast. The first look poster was unveiled on 21 January 2025, coinciding with Tovino’s birthday. Following this, two additional posters were released featuring the female lead, Priyamvada Krishnan. Vormir Studios India acquired the rights to develop and manage the film’s official website. The official announcement was made through the film’s social media accounts on 14 May 2025, accompanied by a promotional poster confirming the partnership. penned the song Minnalvala.The original background score and songs were composed by . On 10th February, the team announced that the music rights were bagged by . released theatrically on 23 May 2025. It was scheduled to release on 16 May 2025 but was postponed by a week. The film had its digital premiere on July 11 on SonyLiv. received generally positive reviews from critics. rated the film 3.5 out of 5, calling it “a brave, bold attempt” with an important message, though noting that the script felt muddled and lacked the emotional and cinematic impact of similar films such as “. praised the film’s technical execution, especially its cinematography and editing. The review described the film as “a triggering reminder of a dark chapter in Kerala’s history” and noted its effective portrayal of systemic tension between the police and Adivasi communities. commended Tovino Thomas’s performance and the film’s impactful theme. The review noted that director Anuraj Manohar delivered “a hard-hitting drama that makes the audience question the system,” designed to provoke discomfort and reflection. On its opening day, the movie recorded an overall Malayalam occupancy rate of 34.34%, indicating a gradual increase in audience turnout throughout the day. The morning shows began with a modest occupancy of 21.97%, which rose to 28.73% in the afternoon. Evening shows saw further improvement with a 34.96% occupancy rate, culminating in a significant increase during the night shows, which recorded 51.71% attendance. The film grossed approximately ₹1.75 crore at the box office on its first day. On its second day, witnessed a growth in box office performance, collecting an estimated ₹1.85 crore, which brought its two-day India net total to ₹3.50 crore. This marked a 19% increase from its opening day collection, attributed to positive word-of-mouth and increasing audience interest. In Kerala, the film grossed approximately ₹3.35 crore over the first two days. Made on a reported budget of ₹10 crore, the film recovered around 35% of its production cost within this period. On its third day, continued its upward trend at the box office, earning an estimated ₹2 crore. This brought the film’s total India net collection to approximately ₹5.20 crore over its opening weekend. The consistent growth over the first three days was attributed to strong word-of-mouth and positive audience reception. The film grossed ₹15 crore at the worldwide box office in three days of its release.</p>