Five best investigative crime thrillers in Malayalam cinema

Five best investigative crime thrillers in Malayalam cinema

Investigative thrillers have been a favourite genre for filmmakers in all languages as it keeps the viewers engaged with its suspense. Movies plotted around solving murder cases have always been a favourite in this genre. Here, we take a look at some best investigative crime thrillers in Malayalam cinema.

Directed by Rosshan Andrrews and written by Boby-Sanjay, 'Mumbai Police' is a fine psychological investigative thriller in recent Malayalam cinema. The movie tells the story of three police officers - Victor Moses, Aaryan and Farhan, who have known each other from their time together in Mumbai. The movie starts with Moses partially losing his memory after an accident and it leads him to assign Farhan to find Aaryan's murderer. The movie is then narrated through flashbacks, showing their friendship and how Victor slowly finds the killer even with his current condition. The movie saw one of Prithviraj's finest performances and he was appreciated for taking up a bold role.

Scripted by MT Vasudevan Nair, 'Utharam', directed by VK Pavitran is a classic investigative thriller based on Daphne Du Maurier's short story 'No Motive'. The movie unfolds with the suicide of Selina, wife of a rich businessman, Mathew. As he couldn't find any reason for his wife's suicide, Mathew calls his friend Balakrishnan Nair, a Delhi based journalist finds answers. The movie then follows Nair's investigation to find the motive behind Selina's suicide. The investigation leads him to dig out some disturbing secrets about Selina and her friend.

Second in the Sethuramayar CBI franchise, 'Jagratha', directed by K Madhu was another investigative thriller with Mammootty as the iconic central character. 'Jagratha' is also a murder-solving mystery in which Sethuramayar from the CBI is investigating the murder of an emerging actress, Ashwathy. Following the same pattern of the investigation, the team unfolds every mystery in the murder, but the real culprit is only revealed in the climax. The movie maintains the suspense through the narrative and has many twists to keep the viewers guessing.

With a stylish narrative of a crime thriller, '7th Day' directed by Syamdhar, is noted for its dramatic settings and stellar performances by its lead actors. The movie starts with David Abraham, who introduces himself as a police official. It revolves around on a fateful Christmas night when David meets a nervous youth named Shan. He reveals his story of how he and his friends got involved in a racket with a loot of Rs 1.45 crore. The trouble behind the money and the betrayal of friends unveils an intriguing tale with Prithviraj leading the show.

An evergreen classic comedy thriller, 'No.20 Madras Mail' directed by Joshiy tells the murder mystery that happens on a running train. The movie starts when three young boys board a train from Kottayam to Madras to watch a test cricket match. In the alcohol-fuelled trip, the three youngsters disturb their co-passenger which includes a businessman and his family. The trio targets his daughter, who gets murdered that night. While all the passengers suspect the three, they escape proving their innocence. Mohanlal, Maniyan Pilla Raju, Jagadish play the drunken youth in the movie while Ashokan also plays an important character in the movie. Mammootty, who appears in the guest role as himself, then turning into an important character in the mov