A solid crime drama
‘Anweshippin Kandethum’ translates to “Seek, and you shall find”. The seeker in this Malayalam language movie is Anand Narayanan (Tovino Thomas), a cop who is called in by his ex-boss to solve a crime. It is the second of two major crimes in the state of Kerala that Anand has been assigned to after the first had ended in bitter disappointment for him earlier. Anweshippin Kandethum falls in the category of procedural dramas, and director Darwin Kuriakose does a fine job of staying true to the genre, giving us a sincere product that works for its audience.
Old-fashioned, classical investigation
Procedural dramas are a neglected genre. Screenwriters and filmmakers often overlook the nuanced writing that is required of such movies, instead choosing to give us a more popular variety – the suspense thriller kind. While the latter may give the audience the adrenalin rush of a whodunit mystery, procedural dramas are more real-life and satisfying. While one is ephemeral, the other is deeply meditative.
Such a meditative and idyllic setting forms the venue for the first of the crimes that Anand is called in to solve. It deals with the missing case of a teenage girl in a small village. When Anand arrives at the scene and starts interrogating some suspects, the camera pans and plants him in the past, as he traces the footsteps of the girl before she went missing. I squirmed in my seat, as I wondered if the movie would show us how a cop with superpower-like mental skills can magically visualize and interpret past events. But I was wrong, as this was a lone misstep in an otherwise convincing investigation drama. Anand’s investigation involves the classic techniques of solving a crime – eyewitness accounts, interviews with suspects, inference of intent, and some intuitive cause-and-effect analysis. While the case itself only involves a limited set of characters (and hence fewer suspects), the screenwriter Jinu Abraham does a fine job of weaving these characters in a tight mix, thereby focusing on the “procedural” aspects of the investigation. Anand runs into several roadblocks though; the involvement of a member of the church in the case makes him unpopular with the locals. It is a tough lesson that he learns about earning trust (that he applies later when solving a second crime). The case itself has a nice arc and ends with a flourish; after the eventual perpetrators surface, there is a devastating end to the case and a bitter break in Anand’s career.
A second chance
A while later, still struggling to come to terms with the failure, Anand is summoned by his ex-boss to solve a crime even more difficult than the earlier one. It is an unsolved mystery from six years earlier, one that requires him to travel and stay in a village with a bunch of his tainted colleagues from the past. Akin to life offering him a second chance, Anand accepts the challenge. This second case makes for an even more compelling procedural drama than the first. Anand and Co., find themselves in a tight spot, having to walk into a scene where the locals have long forgotten the case and couldn’t care less. The village administration isn’t the most cooperative either, as is revealed by someone closely involved with the case, when the crime happened years ago.
True to its genre
The rural setting and the period (the movie is set in late 80’s and early 90’s) help the audience appreciate the procedural aspect of the investigation. In today’s times, people’s whereabouts can be instantly traced, where everything we say and do (and think?) is available for others to see. Yet, in times gone by, police investigations must have been a painstaking exercise, and we couldn’t see that clearer than in Anweshippin Kandethum. By planting this story long before the age of cell phones and social media, the filmmakers provide a perfect setting to drive home the challenges of police procedures.
With barely a light-hearted moment in the entire movie, Anweshippin Kandethum stays true to its course. Without any distractions, the focus remains on the investigation throughout. We neither see any unnecessary characters popping on screen nor are we told about Anand’s personal life (we don’t even know if he is in a relationship). Even when the second crime is solved successfully, there are no victory laps. Çlosure does not always mean a happy ending.
The two stories that make up Anweshippin Kandethum blend well with the narrative and share a common thread. The two tales of forbidden love at odds with the societal setups form the backdrop of the two mysteries. In both stories (and is often the case with life in India), the police are at the mercy of the support of the local administration and the public. And in the most shocking revelation, the perpetrators of the two crimes are hardly the heinous kind. Anweshippin Kandethum is satisfying in more ways than one, as we get two thrillers for the price of one.
Anweshippin Kandethum – Official Trailer | Tovino Thomas | Darwin Kuriakose | 9th Feb 2024
