Kuruthipunal

P. C. Sreeram's 1995 Tamil film follows Adhi, a police officer planning an operation to break a terrorist organisation. As the plan proceeds the group's leader threatens his family and Adhi has to choose between his duty and the people he loves. The idea is that the state uses the same methods. Interrogation, torture and the extraction of information are shown openly; the narrative does not fully vindicate the police and makes the resemblance between the two sides' instruments visible. It is adapted from a Hindi film. P. C. Sreeram was known as a cinematographer and directs here; the use of light and space is the film's strongest element. Kamal Haasan and Arjun lead, and the film was chosen to represent the country at international awards. Who it's for: those who like nineties Tamil thrillers and political crime films. Who it's not for: viewers uncomfortable with torture scenes; the film shows them at length and directly.