Kuruthi (‘ritual slaughter’), (Malayalam 2021), is a social thriller that examines the attitudes of a small group of Hindus and Muslims that reflect a larger problem in Indian society.
Ibrahim (Roshan Mathews) is a devout Muslim who is struggling with his faith. He is haunted by the tragedy of losing his wife and daughter in a landslide just one year earlier. Ibru is longing to see them again, especially his daughter who he believes is in heaven. But he is not quite sure that he is good enough to reach heaven himself.
He lives in a heavily forested area with his cantankerous father, Moosa (Mammukoya), and his contentious younger brother Rasool (Naslen). Rasool is jobless and often spends time playing carom and being secretly mentored into an extreme Islamic philosophy by Kareem (Shine Tom Chacko). Their only neighbors are Suma (Srindaa) and her alcoholic brother, Preman (Manikandan Achari), who also lost his wife in the landslide. Suma, a Hindu, often cooks and cleans for the three men, and they live in peace and goodwill. On one occasion, she proposes marriage to Ibru by saying she will convert to Islam if she can secretly keep praying to her Hindu idols. But Ibru, preoccupied with getting to heaven, is not enticed.
One night, there is an unexpected knock on Ibru’s door, and an injured policeman, Sathyan (Murali Gopy), forces his way into the home. He has captured Vishnu (Sagar Surya), a young Hindu extremist who has killed an elderly Muslim shopkeeper. While tracking him down in the forest, the police were attacked and separated by an unknown group of men. The officer, a Hindu, is seeking refuge until the morning. He makes note of a plaque on the wall containing a Muslim scripture. Soon after, Suma arrives with dinner. Eventually, Kareem shows up under the pretext of seeing if Ibru is okay since he is not answering his phone. Finally, we are introduced to Laiq (Prithviraj), a man filled with self-righteous anger, and eager to bring his own justice to Vishu. Our home invasion now begins in earnest.
Laiq announces his extremist beliefs from the minute he enters the home. He personifies evil and blind hate. We are aware of where the loyalty of each person in the room lies simply by knowing his religion. Ibru quietly takes it all in. Is God vengeful or compassionate? Ibru’s inner conflicts, sadness, longing, and fear are easily seen.
Kuruthi, directed by Manu Warrier, is more than a tense home invasion thriller. Script and screenplay by Anish PallyalI, the story is a vehicle that examines the very nature of God, right and wrong, what kind of religion is passed down from one generation to the next, and if we are our neighbor’s keeper.
