Iratta (2023) review – A solid whodunit set inside a police station, elevated by its gut-wrenching climactic twist

The police station in the Keralan village of Vagamon is getting ready to host a distinguished guest, a local politician. The police officers are making all the arrangements, there is a media presence outside the station, and the crowd has begun to arrive. In a small field adjacent to the police station, two young kids are playing a cricket match. Suddenly, a gunshot is heard, and everything comes to a standstill. DYSP Pramod (Joju George) is in a hospital on the other side of the village for a checkup for panic attacks. As soon as he learns of the incident, he heads to the police station, where he finds out that his twin brother, ASI Vinod (Joju George), has been shot three times, setting in motion a highly publicized investigation. The best part about Iratta is that director Rohit M.G. Krishnan does not waste the film’s intriguing premise but instead executes it effectively, which most Indian movies sadly fail to do, especially when it comes to genre films.

Upon discovering Vinod’s body, Iratta turns into a whodunit mystery set inside a police station. The suspects are three police officers and Vinod’s colleagues, who harbored deep animosity toward him. Through flashbacks, the characters of the twin brothers are established in detail. Vinod was a vile person who drank excessively, was violent toward others, slept around, and raped women. He also had profoundly serious childhood trauma issues. On the other hand, Pramod and his wife split up 17 years ago because of his alcoholism. She moved to Mumbai and raised her daughter alone, who is now a talented singer and sings on reality TV shows. Pramod is desperately trying to reconnect with his ex-wife and their daughter, who is unaware that her father is still alive. As for their sibling bond, the brothers despise one another for reasons that stem from their traumatic upbringing. Their father was an alcoholic and abusive cop who regularly beat their mother while intoxicated. One day, he brings a strange woman and kicks the three of them out of the house. As his superior orders him to start paying child support to his wife, he reluctantly takes one of the brothers (Vinod) with him to save money. One day, Vinod flees the house and discovers that his mother and brother have abandoned him with his abusive father, at which point things between the brothers deteriorate and never improve.

The makers take a tremendous risk by adding a subplot in the form of a romantic love story smack dab in the middle of the murder investigation. Vinod meets a woman and falls in love with her, changing him as a person from the guy he once described as “Filth.” The main objective of this subplot is to give Vinod a redemption arc and make us empathize with him, which plays a pivotal role during the film’s climax. While the subplot feels stretched, it is just enough to make the climactic twist efficient and poignant.

The film’s final twist hits you like a gut punch, breaking your heart and leaving you empty on the inside. It is easily one of the best twist endings in recent times. The film also deals with themes like childhood trauma, abuse, and alcoholism with seamless brilliance. Joju George gives a terrific dual performance, but his portrayal of Vinod was especially laud worthy. He towers above others and dominates the screen when the worst traits of his character are on display. And yet he shines in small moments and is adorable, especially while attempting to impress the woman he loves. The movie is now available on Netflix.

Iratta movie link: IMDB

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