Anjaam Pathiraa

Anjaam Pathiraa is a 2020 Indian Malayalam-language slasher 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 and was remade in Bengali in 2021 as Mukhosh. 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 Koshi 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 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. He has made a facial composite. 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 intercepts Benjamin before he can kill Anil. Benjamin knocks them down and chokes Anwar, but is saved by Catherine and Benjamin is arrested. On questioning, Benjamin does not disclose his motive. Anwar deduces that the burned 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 moves.

Cast

 * Kunchacko Boban as Police Criminologist Dr. Anwar Hussain
 * Sharaf U Dheen as Dr. Benjamin Louis
 * Mathew Thomas as Young Benjamin
 * Sreenath Bhasi as Andrew, a hacker
 * Jinu Joseph as ACP Anil Madhavan
 * Unnimaya Prasad as DCP Catherine Maria IPS
 * Abhiram Radhakrishnan as SI Pradeep Raman
 * Harikrishnan as SI Arun Mathew
 * Divya Gopinath as SI Preethi Pothuval
 * Nikhila Vimal as Rebecca Louis, Benjamin's sister (cameo appearance)
 * Nandhana Varma as Young Rebecca
 * Remya Nambeesan as Fathima, Anwar's wife
 * Jaffar Idukki as Louis, Benjamin's and Rebecca's father
 * Indrans as Ripper Ravi, a serial killer on death row
 * Assim Jamal as Police Commissioner Hashim IPS
 * Shaju Sreedhar as CPO Paulson
 * Sadiq as Dr. Sreekanth, Surgeon
 * Sudheesh as Sudevan
 * Priyanandanan as Sudhakar Devalokam
 * Nazreen Nazar as Mythili Sudhakar
 * Boban Samuel as DYSP Abraham Koshy
 * Jaise Jose as CI Sarathchandran
 * Sudheer Sufi as Simon Manjooran / Psycho Simon
 * Arjun Nandhakumar as ACP Prakash Seetharam IPS
 * Arun as Fr. Bennet Franco
 * Majeed as Minister
 * Zhinz Shan as Assistant Prison officer
 * Paul D Joseph as Civil Police Officer
 * Preman as CPO
 * Dileesh Nair as Cocaine Shameer
 * Siyona as Samskrithi
 * Amina Nijam as Vicky Maria
 * Gilu Joseph as Doctor
 * Rajan Pootharakkal as Aravindan Kartha
 * Santhosh Laxman as Bengali worker

Initially, Actor-writer Vineeth Vasudevan (who co-wrote Allu Ramendran) who is also a chakyar koothu artiste was roped in to play Psycho Simon, but later got replaced.He later plays a small role in the movie.

Production
On 24 June 2019, it was reported that Kunchacko Boban would star in Midhun Manuel Thomas' next directorial and filming was said to begin by late July. Sharaf U Dheen, Unnimaya Prasad, Sreenath Bhasi, Jinu Joseph, Jaffar Idukki and Assim Jamal were also confirmed in the cast, and Sushin Shyam and Shyju Khalid will be the composer and cinematographer, respectively. Midhun said that the film is entirely different from his previous films. The film was formally launched with a pooja ceremony on 17 July 2019. Principal photography began on 1 August 2019, also revealing the title.

Music
The film score is composed, programmed, and arranged by Sushin Shyam.

Theatrical
The film was released on 10 January 2020. The film was passed with 'U/A' certificate from Central Board of Film Certification.

Home media
The film was premiered on 10 April 2020 in Surya TV and was later released on Sun NXT.

Critical response
Sajin Shrijith of The New Indian Express rated 4 out of 5 and called it "an efficient, well-crafted mystery" and said that it is "director Midhun Manuel Thomas' best work so far." Litty Simon of Malayala Manorama rated 3.5 out of 5 stars calling it "a crafty thriller from Kunchacko & Co." and "Anjaam Pathiraa will definitely make you restless. It is an excellent theatrical experience. In the film which villain is so complicated and line is multilayered from usual genre which thrills you always." Deepa Soman of The Times of India awarded 3 out of 5 and wrote that it was "a decently engaging crime thriller." and appreciated Kunchacko Boban's performance stating that he "gives the right demeanour to Anwar Hussain, as do the rest of the cast." Writing for The News Minute, Cris called it "a neatly-packed thriller" and added that "the film moves fast, not wasting time on a song or even a line too many, with noticeable performances and negligible flaws." Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion South wrote "In the end, Anjaam Pathiraa turns out to be one of those films that takes a hot-button issue and expects us to care simply because it takes that issue up. The drama is undernourished, the thrills are feeble".

Box office
The film was both commercial and critical success. In the overseas opening weekend, the film grossed US$713,243 from 78 screens in the United Arab Emirates (the best opening of that weekend), US$48,487 (₹34.48 lakh) from 30 screens in the United States, US$6,081 (₹4.33 lakh) from 2 screens in Canada, and A$28,605 (₹13.89 lakh) from 3 screens in Australia. It earned US$19,857 (₹14.2 lakh) in Canada in two weeks, £28,714 (₹26.78 lakh) in the United Kingdom in three weeks, A$85,285 (₹40.98 lakh) in Australia in four weeks, and US$116,759 (₹83.36 lakh) in the US in five weeks. It is the highest grossing Malayalam film of 2020 which collected over ₹50 crore from Worldwide box office

Real Life Influence
Vishnupriya, 23 year old pharmacist at a private hospital in Panur, was murdered at her house on 22 October 2022 by Shyamjith during the trial he confessed that murder was inspired from the film.

Sequel
A sequel titled Aaram Pathiraa was announced by Midhun Manuel Thomas on 10 January 2021.