Salute

Rosshan Andrrews's 2022 Malayalam film follows a murder investigation in which an innocent man is deliberately framed, and the sub-inspector Aravind, who notices, coming up against his own colleagues. Aravind's elder brother serves in the same force, and the matter turns into a family reckoning. The film's interest is not who did it but how far an institution will go to avoid admitting a mistake. The screenplay by Bobby and Sanjay works through police procedure in detail and builds tension without resorting to action, an unusual choice in Indian police films. Dulquer Salmaan gives a restrained performance. The pace drops in the second half and some resolutions come too easily. Who it's for: viewers who like Malayalam police films and procedure-driven crime cinema. Who it's not for: anyone wanting action sequences, or hoping for sharper institutional criticism.