Mammootty played policemen 28 times in 35 films: There’s one cop avatar for every shade of masculinity

The sharp cop

In contrast to typical police officer characters in Malayalam, who either made sporadic appearances or were portrayed as purely villainous, Mammootty’s first-ever cop avatar, in KG George’s classic mystery thriller Yavanika (1982), exhibited a remarkable level of professionalism and astuteness. Although he played a central role, Mammootty’s CI Jacob Eeraly was depicted in a restrained manner, with a focus solely on his duties.

The budding actor portrayed the character with remarkable precision, adhering closely to the filmmaker’s vision. However, such sharp and professional cops were rarely seen in movies later, as even crime dramas and thrillers primarily celebrated male heroes and often embellished them with superhuman qualities, either morally or physically superior to others.

The anatomy of KG George films: Yavanika | Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback | Adaminte Variyellu | Panchavadi Palam | Irakal

As a result, his police roles in films like John Jaffer Janardhanan (1982) and Aa Divasam (1982) exhibited familiar and overly heroic characteristics, offering little in terms of novelty.

It was in Bharathan’s Ithiri Poove Chuvannapoove (1984) that Mammootty took on a more layered police character. Here, his character’s profession plays a pivotal role in the narrative’s progress and also serves as a symbol of the system that represses the emerging voices of youthful rebellion.

The toxic masculine cop

Although he portrayed police characters in subsequent films such as Idavelakku Sesham (1984), Parayanumvayya Parayathirikkanumvayya (1985), Aalorungi Arangorungi (1986) and Nandi Veendum Varika (1986), none of these characters represented a departure from the roles he had been playing, especially since most of the films of that era were mere dramas.

The landscape, however, changed in 1986 with the release of IV Sasi’s Aavanazhi, where Mammootty’s CI Balram received widespread acclaim and developed a devoted fan base. Referred to as Karadi (bear) by his colleagues, Balram is a ruthless and relentless police officer who is willing to do whatever it takes to apprehend criminals, even willing to employ extreme measures.

An epitome of toxic masculinity, who manages to evade consequences for his cruelties due to the significant personal setbacks he’s faced and because he’s a sharp officer, the character Balram established a new archetype for police characters, often depicting them as wounded lions, but problematic to the very core. This had an influence on subsequent films as well, including Aavanazhi’s sequel Inspector Balram (1991) and several Suresh Gopi cop films, which elevated him to the position of a superstar, such as Ekalavyan (1993), Commissioner (1994), The King (1995), Janathipathyam (1997) and FIR (1999). These portrayals also mirrored the zeitgeist of that era when morally questionable characters, including underworld figures, were being depicted as protagonists, especially because movies had become increasingly commercial and lucrative, particularly when they could deliver an intense adrenaline rush to (male) audiences.

Though not explicitly, Mammootty’s character Prathapan in Bharathan’s Pranamam (1986) also carried similar traits, albeit without the background of past traumas.

Era of Sethurama Iyer

In 1988, Mammootty redefined the portrayal of investigators through two remarkably distinct characters. His Sethurama Iyer, a CBI officer in K Madhu’s Oru CBI Diary Kurippu, was unlike any crime investigator seen in Indian cinema up to that point. On the other hand, his Perumal, a DSP of CB-CID, in Sibi Malayil’s August 1, also stood out. Though Sethurama Iyer was not technically a cop, his character shattered prevailing stereotypes surrounding police figures, emphasising their intellect and investigative prowess rather than relying on the traditional ultra-masculine traits used to overpower wrongdoers. Oru CBI Diary Kurippu and the two subsequent films in the CBI franchise, with scriptwriter SN Swamy’s meticulous attention to crime investigation details, demonstrated the potential of investigative thrillers when they prioritise accuracy in the probe process.

Despite being the central character, Sethurama Iyer never sought to upstage the core elements of the story, investigation, and suspense. Consequently, Sethurama Iyer set an exceptionally high standard for future investigator characters.

While Perumal displayed more heroism than Sethurama Iyer, writer SN Swamy, who penned this movie too, made sure that the character didn’t conform to the typical police character stereotype. In fact, Swamy’s arrival brought about a significant change in how police characters are portrayed, emphasising their roles and professional skills, thanks to his extensive knowledge in the field. However, this shift also led to the emergence of a different kind of unexciting police character, where their major attribute was their sharpness, lacking any emotional depth.

Meanwhile, Mammootty’s SP Haridas Damodaran in Ee Thanutha Veluppan Kalathu (1990), penned by P Padmarajan and helmed by Joshiy, was one of the last subdued alpha police characters in Malayalam cinema, before screenwriter Renji Panicker entered the scene, solidifying the Balram archetype. While Shaji Kailas’ The Truth (1998) fell into the Swamy category, K Madhu’s The Godman (1999) and Vinayan’s Rakshasa Rajavu followed the Renji Panicker style. Ranjith’s Black (2004), meanwhile, featured the star as a goonda-turned-cop.

(Unfortunately) The character Balram made a return in 2006 in IV Sasi-T Damodaran’s Balram vs Tharadas, which served as a crossover sequel to the movies Aavanazhi and Athirathram, with Mammootty reprising his roles from those films. Renji Panicker’s second directorial project, Roudram (2008), also featured Mammootty portraying a similar cop character. However, these films faced significant setbacks, leading to a gradual decline of the archetype, particularly for Mammootty.

The next time Mammootty wore a police uniform was in Aashiq Abu’s 2009 action comedy Daddy Cool. In contrast to his typical cop roles, CI Antony Simon here was lazy, laid-back, childlike, and occasionally inept. Mammootty’s portrayal was both charming and demonstrated that swagger needn’t always be linked with brutality, atrocity or disrespect. However, the movie did not make an impact.

Interestingly, this led to a flood of nonsensical crime/investigative dramas, such as August 15 (2011), The Train (2011) and Face to Face (2012), that barely scratched the surface of their characters, let alone delve into their depths.

Subsequently, the celebration of toxic masculinity and sexism through cop characters reached its zenith in Nithin Renji Panicker’s Kasaba (2016) and Ajai Vasudev’s Masterpiece (2017). Though these films initially received a pass due to their superstar lead, they faced widespread criticism and condemnation very soon. Mammootty also portrayed another police character in the movie Street Lights (2018); however, it contributed nothing significant.

The vulnerable cop

The trajectory shifted once again, but it branched into two opposite categories, both gaining substantial followings. In the first portrayal, familiar “wounded lion” traits persisted, but this time veering more towards blatant vigilantism. Though Shaji Padoor’s Abrahaminte Santhathikal (2018) showcased Mammootty’s character ASP Derick Abraham as deeply invested in personal matters, it also shed light on his vigilante behaviour and how he dispensed justice on the streets, despite being hailed as a sharp cop by his colleagues. These opposing character traits, though starkly different, found admiration due to the romanticisation of extrajudicial killings.

This trend reached its peak in B Unnikrishnan’s Christopher (2023), wherein the number of encounter killings per square foot was so high that, after a point, one would probably lose track of how many people the cop gunned down.

Amidst all of this, Mammootty became the face of the new-era portrayal of cops (or any character in general) as well, characterised by complexity, nuances, and the unapologetic display of vulnerabilities and insecurities.

Khalid Rahman’s modern classic Unda marked the beginning of this trend. One of the finest Malayalam films of the last decade, Mammootty’s SI Mani is an everyday man, without the glamorous trappings of the actor’s stardom. He is also a typical middle-aged man who respects his uniform while also seeing it as a means to support his family. He isn’t heroic or excessively confident but aims for a peaceful life while remaining faithful to his duties.

On the other hand, Ratheena’s Puzhu conceptualised and presented a comprehensive police character, drawing inspiration from all police characters of the 80s and 90s, and examined it through a non-glorifying lens, revealing its cruel and cold-blooded aspects without any cover-up.

While Mammootty’s ASI George Martin in Kannur Squad occasionally has his moments of grandeur, these instances always remain harmonious with the overall narrative. At a time when police procedurals gain popularity for their deliberate pacing, avoiding excessive dramatisation, Kannur Squad skillfully explores the intricacies of the lives of ordinary cops without embellishing them as superhuman figures. Despite the current fascination with (authentic) police portrayals on-screen, such films also attempt to refrain from uncritically glorifying the profession or the officers, nor does it excuse any wrongdoing by those in uniform.