Sheejith Payyaratta

Review: Narivetta – 7/10 First, my thanks to the entire Narivetta team. I wasn’t fully aware of the real-life incident the film is based on, as I typically don’t follow such news. That unfamiliarity made the storyline feel fresh and engaging. Though I recognized the real-life figures, their on-screen portrayals were both compelling and convincing. The film moved at a steady pace with no noticeable lag. The scenes were thoughtfully crafted, and the storytelling held my attention throughout. One creative choice that felt unnecessary was the use of timestamps—they didn’t add much value, in my opinion. Casting was a definite highlight, lending a refreshing vibe to the film. The first half flew by, likely because I was deeply immersed. While the second half didn’t lag, it did feel like the energy and narrative momentum dipped slightly. The natural tone of the scenes—especially the dialogues among the Muthanga people and the realistic settings—added authenticity. That said, the performance of Tovino at the protest sequence felt out of place. Tovino’s performance in that part leaned too much into melodrama, breaking the film’s otherwise grounded feel. The portrayal of relationships—mother-son, uncle-nephew, and romantic—was heartfelt and thoughtfully done. Certain emotional scenes stood out for their depth. Priyamvada Krishnan was particularly impressive, thanks to the nuanced writing of her character. Her dialogue exchanges with Tovino felt organic and real. Cheran’s performance reminded me at moments of Padmasree Murali, one of my all-time favorite Malayalam actors—not in terms of comparison, but in spirit. Cheran delivered a solid performance true to his role. Arya Salim showed great potential, and her performance was notably strong. Suraj Venjaramood, playing a key role, was effective, though I expected a bit more given his character's weight in the story. The protest (or “war”) scenes were executed with surprising clarity and control—an area where many films falter. Tovino, overall, performed well, though those particular scenes felt a bit overacted. In summary, Narivetta is a well-crafted and absorbing film with a few minor flaws but a strong emotional core. As always, this is just my personal perspective. Sheejith Payyaratta #Narivetta #PriyamvadaKrishnan #Cheran #SurajVenjaramoodu #AryaSalim #AnurajManohar #tovinothomas #abinjosephkurian