Anjaam Pathiraa
Anjaam Pathiraa is a 2020 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film written and directed by Midhun Manuel Thomas. The film stars Kunchacko Boban, Sharaf U Dheen, Sreenath Bhasi, Unnimaya Prasad, Jinu Joseph and Abhiram Radhakrishnan. Sushin Shyam composed the music, while Shyju Khalid was the cinematographer.
Anjaam Pathiraa was dubbed in Telugu and Hindi as Midnight Murders and Police Story and was released on Aha and Goldmines Telefilms. The film received positive reviews from critics where it went on to emerge as the highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2020. Following the film's success, Midhun Manuel Thomas has announced a sequel titled Aaaram Pathiraa.
Parts of the plot were based on real events: such as the Psycho Simon character was taken from the 2017 Nanthancode massacre where a psychopathic son killed his entire family; and Ripper Ravi character is based on Ripper Chandran, a notorious serial killer in Kerala during late 1980s.
Plot
Anwar Hussain is a psychologist who works as a consulting criminologist in Kochi City Police on the special recommendation of his friend ACP Anil Madhavan. One night, DYSP Abraham Koshy is abducted and his corpse is left in a gypsum field with eyes and heart eviscerated. The investigation is headed by DCP Catherine. The autopsy report shows zolpidem presence in the body, but no signs of coercion. In a few days, a second police officer goes missing, his body is found in the backyard of the police station, along with a Lady Justice figurine.Anwar finds a similar artefact in the previous crime scene from the forensic photos. Autopsy results are the same as previous. The station's CCTV footage has been tampered, indicating the killer is also a security hacker. Anwar employs hacker Andrew for cyber investigation. Catherine implements a plan to lure the killer in which two officers should pair and patrol the night at 100-meter distance. During duty, Catherine's driver Paulson is kidnapped, where his scooter's camera footage shows a wolf-masked man and another man's voice, indicating they work as a team. Paulson's body is delivered to Anwar's house in a refrigerator box.
The fingerprint of a cocaine dealer named Shameer Abdulla is found. They track him to a cottage where they find his mummified corpse. It was a decoy. Anwar accidentally discovers a signature imprinted on the figurine, which turns out to be that of its sculptor, Sudhakar Devalokam. On questioning, Sudhakar explains that he made five such figurines for two men, who blinded him after he delivered it. From that, Anwar deduces there will be two more murders. On another day, CI Sharathchandran is abducted after a struggle at his home, where in addition to the figurine, they also find a fidget spinner. His body is dropped in a Kochi Metro train by a woman. With that, Catherine is replaced with ACP Prakash Seetharam.
Sharathchandran had regularly taken a prescription drug named Tenormin. Anwar theorises that the killers inject hypnotic drug Zolpidem in victim's body somehow before kidnapping and hypnotize them for taking away; Tenormin is a counter-drug against Zolpidem, so Sharathchandran's hypnosis was unsuccessful, hence the struggle. Anwar recalls seeing a photo of a similar spinner in the police file for a homicidal psychopath and hacker named Simon. While Simon is recorded dead during an explosion in prison, Anwar is not convinced. Andrew recognises Simon as the one who cross-dressed as the woman on the train.
Anwar reports his findings but is informed that Simon and his crime partner Aravindan's bodies were found that morning with a suicide note confessing to the murders left along with the last figurine. Anwar is unconvinced and believes it is a decoy to stop the investigation. Anwar is called by Sudhakar after a man comes to his workshop for a sixth figurine which he made for his personal satisfaction. He has made a painting based on his daughter's description. Anwar identifies him as psychologist Dr Benjamin Louis since he always recommends his psychology books for referring when he goes to be a guest lecturer to psychology colleges. From Benjamin's foster parent Sudhevan, Anwar learns that when Benjamin was a teenager, his sister Rebecca was impregnated by a priest named Bennet Franko.
When their father Louis reported the crime, SI Anil and Constable Sharathchandran framed him for assaulting his daughter after taking a bribe from Father Bennet. Rebecca was placed in a distant convent, and their father committed suicide in prison. Later, Benjamin went to the United States for higher studies and came back. Anwar deduces that the first three murders were random and the actual targets are Sharathchandran and Anil. He goes to warn Anil but finds only his deserted car. From a nearby quadcopter, Anwar finds footage of Benjamin's van, Andrew traces it to a pig farm.
Anwar and two officers intercept Benjamin before he can kill Anil. Benjamin knocks them down and chokes Anwar, but is saved by Catherine. Benjamin is arrested. On questioning, Benjamin does not disclose his motive. Anwar deduces that the burnt corpse misidentified in prison as Simon's was actually Bennet's. While in transit for presenting him in court, his escort officers kills Benjamin in a fake encounter. At the same time, a girl visits Anil at his apartment. Anwar enters when she leaves and finds Anil dead. He realises that the girl killed him. Through the window, Anwar calls her Rebecca, to which she turns back, looks at him and leaves.
Cast
- Kunchacko Boban as Dr. Anwar Hussain, a criminologist
- Sharaf U Dheen as Dr. Benjamin Louis
- * Mathew Thomas as Young Benjamin
- Sreenath Bhasi as Andrew, a hacker
- Jinu Joseph as ACP Anil Madhavan IPS
- Unnimaya Prasad as DCP Catherine Maria IPS
- Abhiram Radhakrishnan as SI Pradeep Raman
- Harikrishnan as SI Arun Mathew
- Nikhila Vimal as Rebecca Louis, Benjamin's sister
- * Nandhana Varma as Young Rebecca
- Divya Gopinath as SI Preethi Poduval
- Indrans as Ripper Ravi, a serial killer on death row
- Remya Nambeesan as Fathima, Anwar's wife
- Arjun Nandhakumar as ACP Prakash Seetharam IPS
- Arun Cherukavil as Father Bennett Franco
- Jaffar Idukki as Louis, Benjamin and Rebecca's father
- Jaise Jose as CI Sharath Chandran
- Assim Jamal as Police Commissioner Hashim
- Gilu Joseph as Doctor
- Sadiq as Dr. Sreekanth
- Sudheesh as Sudevan
- Shaju Sreedhar as CPO Paulson
- Boban Samuel as DYSP Abraham Koshy
- Dileesh Nair as Shameer Abdullah aka Cocaine Shameer
- Priyanandanan as Sudhkar Devalokam
- Ranjini George as Collector
- Nazreen Nazar as Mythilli Sudhakar
- Sudeer Sufi as Simon Manjooran aka Psycho Simon
- Rajan Poothrakkal as Aravindan Kartha aka Psycho Aravind
- Amina Nijam as Vicky Maria
- Vineeth Vasudevan as Police officer