Today, we will look at another hidden gem of Indian Cinema, particularly Malayalam Cinema. I have expressed my admiration for Malayalam and Bengali cinema in the past, and I will spare you the details this time. “Mumbai Police” is a landmark, not just in Malayalam Cinema but in the annals of Indian Cinema itself.

If you feel that the title is cheesy, I may agree with you, as it is misleading and while there are references to what it really means in the movie, it does not completely do justice to the plot. Before we dig into the plot, let me state unequivocally that this plot is not based on reality. While the plot is improbable and even packs some commercial elements, the implications of the movie’s message are shocking and profound.

The story begins with ACP Antony Moses (Prithviraj Sukumaran) in a phone conversation with Assistant Commissioner Farhan Aman (Rahman) while driving. He informs Farhan that he has solved ‘the case’. Almost instantly, a large metal block (later revealed to be a fridge that fell off a moving truck) almost out of nowhere lands on his path. His instinctive effort to swerve away from the obstacle fails and his car is toppled to its side.

A few more minutes into the movie, Moses is being driven home by Farhan. It is revealed that Moses now has amnesia and does not remember anything in his past. Assistant Commissioner Farhan has been a dear friend, brother-in-law, and a close colleague of Moses. Moses has been in a hospital for a fortnight. Before the accident, Moses has been investigating the murder of another close friend and colleague, Aryan, had solved the murder and identified the culprit. Unfortunately, he has to start again.

It is late at night as Farhan drops Moses off at an apartment building. Moses is attacked by a handful of assailants and has little trouble protecting himself. While his memories of his past are absent, his skills are all intact.

The fight is one of the best-choreographed fights I have seen in a while. The melee caused by this fight would wake up several residents in the building, causing the whole building to light up. The residents pay Moses a visit to tell him that they disapprove of his behavior, not just from this incident but from several others from the past.

As the plot progresses, Moses digs deep into the investigation and his own past. It is revealed that Moses, Farhan, and the murdered man, Aryan, were part of an elite group of cops. Aryan, the youngest and least experienced, was going to get an award for his part in nabbing terrorists, at a large official police ceremony, conducted on a large field. As Aryan is on the podium, making his acceptance speech, he is killed by a bullet. Moses’ investigation would reveal that the bullet came from a building near the field. Moses deduces that whoever shot Aryan was a trained sniper.

As Moses investigates his own past, it is revealed that he had a reckless risk-taking streak. He also had a cruel, merciless side to his personality. As a result, he had made several enemies. His actions have also caused several problems for the police department.

Aryan, on the other hand, is also a cop. Aryan comes from an affluent family who gave him no encouragement. Recently, Aryan had got into problems while trying to arrest a Navy Officer. As a result, the Navy had retaliated against the police. Could this have had anything to do with his death?

Farhan, on the other hand, is the most balanced of the three and is the one to do damage control whenever his two cohorts cause problems. This being a very high-profile case, closely watched by the public and with Aryan’s family demanding answers, Moses leads this investigation, with his peers, examining the evidence, interviewing the witnesses, and retracing his own steps hours before the accident. All this would lead to an explosive end that the audience and critics would discuss and hail for years to come.

“Mumbai Police” is a movie that blends several genres. It may be classified as neo-noir, a whodunit, a crime story, an action film, and so on. None of these words would do it justice.

There are two incarnations of Antony Moses, one is the person he was before the accident, referred to as Antony Moses I, and Antony Moses II, the one after. Antony Moses I initially seems like an action hero, a larger-than-life supercop who takes reckless risks without fear of consequences. On the other hand, he is vulnerable and hides many secrets.

Antony Moses II is a sober individual, hellbent on finding Aryan’s killer. Prithviraj excels as both incarnations of Antony Moses. Rahman, as Farhan, also puts in a dignified, subdued performance. Jayasurya, as Aryan, also impresses.

Writer Bobby Sanjay and director Rossshan Andrrews (not a typo) deserve kudos for touching on subjects that few moviemakers would approach. Prithviraj Sukumaran, the movie’s protagonist, deserves even more credit for taking on such a role. Most other movie stars of his caliber would stay away from such roles as it could have serious implications for their career. Prithviraj has taken on the challenge and has handled it magnificently. This is a gripping movie from start to finish.

Now, about a decade after this movie was released, it has been remade in Telugu. It may finally be remade in other languages. I suggest that you watch this, the original, as it is a trendsetter in Indian movies.