Why Narivetta's success was redemption for Prithviraj Sukumaran's Thalappavu, Abin Joseph reveals | Exclusive
In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, Narivetta writer Abin Joseph explains why he named Tovino Thomas' character Varghese and recollects the biggest appreciation he got was from Thalappavu screenwriter
Last Updated: 06.55 PM, Jul 15, 2025
When Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer Thalappavu was released in 2008, Abin Joseph was just a teenager caught up in his studies. Cut to 2025, Abin is an award-winning short story writer and the scriptwriter of Narivetta, the latest Malayalam film, starring Tovino Thomas as Varghese. In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, Abin explains why he named the protagonist Varghese and recollects the biggest appreciation he got for Narivetta. It was from Thalappavu writer Babu Janardhanan, as Narivetta achieved what Prithviraj’s film could not, more than 17 years ago.
Joseph in Narivetta, winning praise from Thalappavu writer
The 2025 Malayalam film Narivetta, helmed by Anuraj Manohar and penned by Abin Joseph, revolves around a stand-off between the police and the tribals. The lead character is cop Varghese, who stands up for the justice of tribals. But the significance of the name is not lost on those who are familiar with the Naxal events in Kerala. Varghese or Naxal Varghese is a real-life person, who worked for the rights of adivasis.
When OTTplay caught up with Abin Joseph and asked if it was intentional to name Tovino Thomas’ character after him, the young writer replied, “Yes, it was intentional. Varghese is someone who worked for the tribal folks. That’s why I named the character such, but the characterisation is not based on him.”
Interestingly, the story of Varghese was depicted in the Malayalam film, Thalappavu, helmed by Madhupal, and starring Prithviraj Sukumaran as the Naxal activist, who was shot dead in a fake police encounter. But what tops it all is when Thalappavu writer Babu Janardhanan reached out to Abin and congratulated him on the success of Narivetta.
“Immediately after Narivetta was released, Thalappavu scriptwriter Babu Janardhanan called me. I have no personal acquaintance with him. But he got my number from someone and called me. He told me that he was really happy that we narrated this tale in the film and that it became a hit, especially during this time," Abin recalled.
"It was a goosebumps moment for me. I never expected this. That a senior writer like him reached out to me. I have not met him before or communicated with him in any way. He is someone who has attempted serious subjects such as Vasthavam. So when such a serious film became a hit, he called to express his happiness,” Abin futher said.
Notably, the gripping tale of Thalappavu won much critical acclaim and several Kerala State Film awards but the film failed to attract footfalls in the cinema halls. That a serious film like Narivetta, which put the spotlight on tribal issues, could turn out to be a hit in 2025 is indeed a welcome sign for filmmakers looking to tackle realistic subjects.
You can stream Narivetta on SonyLiv via OTTplay Premium