Movies
Nayattu movie review: A raw take on the Indian political circus
KERALA: At a time when police highhandedness, use of excessive force and collusion between lawmakers and lawkeepers has come under scrutiny in the US, India and other parts of the world, Malayalam political thriller Nayattu enters the fray with a story in which the ”hunter becomes the hunted”. It also examines the twin themes of truth and justice and how these notions get twisted by the powers that be to suit their interests.
The film, whose title means ‘the hunt’, stars Joju George, Kunchakko Boban, Nimisha Sajayan, Jaffar Idukki, and Yama Gilgamesh in the lead roles. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Martin Prakkat, Nayattu is now streaming on Netflix.
Political agenda serves justice
The film revolves around three police officers, Maniyan (Joju George), Praveen Michael (Kunchakko Boban), and Sunitha (Nimisha Sajayan). The movie begins at a point where Michael, a civil police officer, is assigned to the local police station, where he befriends Maniyan, the assistant sub inspector, and Sunitha, a woman police officer.
It is the election season in Kerala, and political parties in the state are fully focused on consolidating their voter base. Governance has taken a back seat in the heat of the electoral race, and even the chief minister is compelled to agree to the demands put forward by low-ranking cadres. At this point, Maniyan, Michael, and Sunitha get involved in a hit-and-run case, where the victim is a youngster who belongs to a political outfit that has ties with the ruling dispensation. An unexpected turn of events makes the trio the suspects of a murder case, and they soon escape from the station until the election wraps up.
Thus, a game of cat and mouse begins. The police start searching for the trio, who feel like they’ve sunk into a nightmare where they’re being investigated and hunted by their colleagues. The rest of the story deals with politics, survival, and how the state machinery can stifle justice from prevailing in society.
Several critics have been quick to pan how the movie’s climax tapers offs into an abrupt ending. However, this reviewer would like to highlight this open ending as one of the biggest strengths of Nayattu; it poses pointed questions to people who live in a society where police officers often turn into pawns of the ruling party.
Flawed policemen in a broken system
The initial moments of the movie show ASI Maniyan manipulating a case where a young man is being framed for alleged trespass and murder attempt. With these scenes, the director tries to convey how the affluent class in the society is making use of police officers to manipulate the judicial system in the country. However, when police officers turn victims, they become prey of their colleagues, who have nothing much to do apart from obeying the orders from the top.
Nayattu: A movie made with international standards
Nayattu is blessed with some spellbinding performances from its lead actors. Joju George excels in the role of ASI Maniyan, who tries hard to manage his personal and professional life. Kunchakko Boban, who is often labeled as a chocolate hero in the industry, proves yet again that he is an actor with unexplored mettle. He truly brings alive Praveen Michael, and deserves a special round of applause for this effort. For a brilliant actress like Nimisha Sajayan, the role of Sunitha was a cakewalk.
The script is penned by Shahi Kabir, who has previously written the screenplay for the acclaimed blockbuster Joseph. Being a police officer in real life, Kabir’s detailing has played a crucial role in elevating the overall mood of the film. Shyju Khalid’s cinematography and Mahesh Narayanan’s slick editing were also top-notch.
Final verdict: Nayattu is a take on contemporary Kerala politics where caste plays a crucial role in determining the prevalence of justice in society. Coming against the backdrop of the just concluded assembly polls, the film is sure to put the recent political events in the state into perspective. The film humanises policemen and gives a deep dive into the people and psyche beneath the khaki uniform – vulnerable, flawed and fallible, just like the rest of us.
Hindi
GUEST COLUMN: Why film libraries & IPs are the new engines of growth
Unlocking value through catalogue strength and IP synergy
MUMBAI:In a media landscape defined by fragmentation, platform proliferation, and ever-evolving audience behavior, the economics of filmmaking are undergoing a fundamental shift. No longer confined to box office performance, a film’s true value is now measured across an extended lifecycle that spans digital platforms, syndication networks, and global markets. As content consumption becomes increasingly non-linear and algorithm-driven, film libraries and intellectual properties (IPs) are emerging as strategic assets, capable of delivering sustained, long-term returns. For Mohan Gopinath, head – bollywood business at Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd., this transformation signals a decisive move from hit-driven models to portfolio-led value creation. In this piece, Gopinath explores how legacy content, when intelligently repurposed and distributed, can unlock recurring revenue streams, why the interplay between catalogue and original IP is critical, and how media companies can build resilient, future-ready entertainment businesses.
For all these years, we thought that a film is successful if it performs well in theatres. There are opening weekend numbers, box office milestones, and distribution footprints that gave a good picture of how the movie has done commercially and also tell us about its cultural impact. However, there are multiple platforms today, always-on content ecosystem, which has caused a shift. Today, the theatrical performance is not the culmination of a film’s journey but merely the beginning of a much longer and more dynamic lifecycle.
Film libraries today are emerging as high-value, constantly evolving assets that deliver sustained returns well beyond initial release cycles. This becomes a point of great advantage for legacy content owners with diverse catalogues, to shape long-term business outcomes.
According to FICCI-EY, the media and entertainment industry of India achieved a valuation of Rs 2.78 trillion in 2025 which is expected to reach Rs 3.3 trillion by 2028 through a compound annual growth rate of approximately 7 per cent and digital media will bring in more than Rs 1 trillion to become the biggest sector which generates about 36 per cent of overall market revenues.
This shift is the expansion of distribution endpoints. We know how satellite television was once the primary secondary window but today, it coexists with YouTube, OTT platforms, Connected TV, and FAST channels. Each of these platforms caters to distinct audience demographics and consumption behaviors, helping content owners to obtain more value from the same asset across multiple formats.
For instance, films that had great reruns, now find continuous engagement across digital platforms. On YouTube, classic Hindi cinema continues to attract significant viewership, reaching audiences across generations and geographies with remarkable consistency. At Shemaroo Entertainment, this is reflected in our film library shaped over decades as part of a long association with Indian entertainment. From classics such as Amar Akbar Anthony to much-loved entertainers like Jab We Met, Welcome, Dhamaal, Phir Hera Pheri, Dhol, Golmaal, and Bhagam Bhag, many of these titles continue finding new audiences while retaining their place in popular memory. Their enduring appeal reflects how culturally resonant stories can continue creating value over time. Similarly, FAST channels have created curated, always-on environments where catalogue content can continue to thrive through star-led and genre-based programming.
This multi-platform approach has very well transformed films into long-tail IP assets which are capable of generating recurring revenue across advertising, subscription, and syndication models.
The evolution of audience behavior is equally important. Nowadays, it’s more important to find what’s more relative than what’s recent as viewers are more influenced by mood, memories, and algorithmic suggestions than by release schedules. Even if a movie was released decades ago, it can trend alongside a newly released movie, if surfaced in the right context. Thoughtful packaging, whether through festival-based playlists, actor-driven collections, or genre clusters, allows catalogue content to remain dynamic and continuously discoverable. Shemaroo Entertainment has built extensive film libraries over decades and its focus has mostly been on recontextualizing content for the consumption of newer environments. This process doesn’t just include digitization and restoration, but also re-packaging of films as per platforms.
Syndication itself has evolved into a key growth driver. In perspective, when looking at the domestic market, curated content packages continue to find strong demand across broadcast and digital platforms. Meanwhile, in the international market, especially in markets like Middle East, North America and Southeast Asia, the appetite for Indian content is opening up new monetization avenues. Here, the ability to package and position catalogue content effectively becomes as important as the content itself.
Importantly, the need to re-package catalogue content does not diminish the role of new content. In fact, originals and fresh IP are essential to sustaining the long-term value of a film library because they act as discovery engines that bring audiences into the ecosystem, while catalogue content drives depth, retention, and repeat engagement.
This interplay between the “new” and the “known” is what defines a robust content strategy today. While new films generate spikes in consumption, catalogue titles offer familiarity and comfort. These are factors that are increasingly valuable in an era of content abundance and decision fatigue. This is also shaping our strategy, drawing value from both a deep catalogue assets and a growing focus on original IPs to strengthen long-term audience engagement and build more predictable revenue streams.
There is growing recognition that long-term value in entertainment will be shaped not only by how intelligently existing content continues to live, travel and find relevance, but also by how consistently new stories are created to renew that ecosystem. In that sense, film libraries and original IP are not parallel bets, but reinforcing engines of growth. For media companies, the opportunity lies in making these two forces work together, because that is increasingly where more resilient and predictable businesses are being shaped.
Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect our own.
