Anweshippin Kandethum can be loosely translated to ‘seek, and you shall find.’ This is a police procedural drama surrounding a group of investigating officers who have been assigned to solve two murder cases at two different times. The team has loads of people working to get to the bottom of the case, while there are others who might or might not benefit from solving the case and finding the root cause of the murders that happened. Directed by Darwin Kuriakose, this Malayalam-language film is about more than just about a murder case. It is about humans who make difficult choices at various junctures.
SI Anand Narayanan Pillai
SI Anand Narayanan Pillai in Anweshippin Kandethum is portrayed by Tovino Thomas, and he is a diligent police officer. He comes from a family of police officers and is excited about his wor. SI Anand Narayanan Pillai, in the scheme of hierarchy, is not in the highest position in his office, but he wants to try his level best to impress them with his investigative skills. The first case happens to be of a local Christian girl who has gone missing.
Anand’s superiors were going after the usual suspects, while Anand tried to be different and work on the offbeat information he received while investigating the matter. Anand’s work and ethics are questioned and ridiculed, which further makes him determined to find answers and not be bogged down by superiors. The case is cracked, but the repercussions of him nabbing the culprit and its aftermath are what caused a major faux pas that threatened his and his team’s careers. He is allowed to salvage his reputation when assigned a six-year-old cold case.
Anand and his team are excited and keen on doing what they do best, seeking answers and finding leads overlooked by many investigative teams in this matter. This case is a make-and-break that determines their fate, but Anand and his team take the slow approach and are not in much of a hurry. It is the backlash from the local village authorities that slows down their work, but that is far from their concern as they are officers of the law and nobody can manhandle them. Anand’s issue is his fate, which is coming close to finding the culprit but having to let go of them, and he is worried that this pattern will keep repeating.
Constable Raveendran Nair
Veteran actor Sadiq as Constable Raveendran Nair appears in the film only in the second half as the man who is given the job of assisting Anand and his team as they are in town to solve a murder that was committed six years ago. His job is to explain the case in detail and help find clues that the previous investigation team missed. Raveendran Nair was the first responder on the scene of the crime, and he is aware of the details of the case from scratch.
The biggest drawback of the case has to be them not being able to find the right kind of lead that takes them to the culprit, and Raveendran Nair, along with the locals, are tired of hoping there would be an end to this chase. Unlike the locals, Raveendran Nair is determined to help. As a man of morals and values, things begin to look bleak for him as the case is heading toward a conclusion, and he begins to feel jittery about it. Raveendran turned out to be the one with many secrets that changed the course of the investigation Anand and his team are here for.
SP K.R. Rajagopal
Siddique is an actor who has constantly reinvented himself for over the last two decades. He has played the roles of good cop and bad cop in countless films, yet his performances and different approaches towards every character are what make him stand out every single time. As SP K.R. Rajagopal, he is the neutral superior officer who wants only answers and is not worried about the method chosen by Anand. He is the only person supporting Anand and his investigative methods.
K.R. Rajagopal is also someone who approved the off-the-book investigation into the disappearance of a Christian girl, to which Anand is assigned, which unfortunately leads to a tragic ending. Rajagopal could see a spark in Anand and his yearning to find answers, which made him offer the young police officer an old case that many investigative agencies have given up on. He is determined that Anand’s unorthodox approach will help them, and it did. K.R. Rajagopal is impressed, but the case turns out to be a lot murkier than expected, having them just resort to picking up the pieces and moving on.
Sadanandan Aashaan
Legendary actor Thilakan’s son, Shammi Thilakan, has turned out to be a very good actor, and as Malayalam films push the boundaries of cinema, a lot of character actors like him have come to the forefront and shined with their performances. Shammi Thilakan, as Sadanandan Aashan, is the usual suspect in the second case to which Anand and his team are assigned. He is the town’s elder and has a lot of power and influence. This makes it easy for him to become a target. Sadanandan has every reason to be the one who could have killed the young girl and gotten away only because of local support. The man who claims to be in support of change in the social system could easily be a hypocrite who personally does not believe in it. He is a perfect distraction, as Anand and his team are headed towards finding the culprit and the motive. Sadanandan Aashan is a highly misunderstood character, and his role in the film must be appreciated for being innovative.
President P.V. Pailo
Baburaj as Panchayat President PV Pailo is another usual suspect who does not find any reason to help Anand and his team find answers regarding the murder case that rocked his village several years ago. He is a witness to the police and the other investigative agencies harassing the townspeople, which makes him not trust the local law and order system. Just like in Drishyam, some locals are against another police team coming back into town to bring up the bodies and find answers, which many have been unsuccessful in. He could be the usual suspect as well, keeping in mind his aggressive nature and his penchant to derail the investigation. Pailo turns out to be a lot meeker than the façade he put across, and eventually he went on to help Anand and his team.
DySP Alex
DySP Alex is portrayed by Kottayam Nazer, a comedian turned actor. DySP Alex is an arrogant man who has been assigned the case of the missing girl from the Christian community. Anand and his team tried to question a church’s father and his parish’s role in the girl’s disappearance and death. He is an arrogant cop who has been asked to take over after a lot of protest, and he feels Anand could be an obstacle.
There is a template Alex has been asked to follow, and that includes keeping Anand and his insights away from the investigation. The man is honest about why he was assigned the investigation, and it has everything to do with his religion and making sure the Christian community in the town is not offended by Anand’s moves. It is his close-minded approach that forced Anand and SP K.R. Rajagopal resorted to an off-the-book investigation to avoid any attention towards his lead. Dy SP Alex is an awful man through and through.
