# Kooman (film)

Kooman (transl. Owl) is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film directed by Jeethu Joseph, written by K. R. Krishna Kumar and jointly produced by Listin Stephen and Allwin Antony. The film stars Asif Ali, with Renji Panicker, Jaffar Idukki, Baburaj, Hannah Reji Koshy, and Meghanathan. The plot follows Giri Shankar, a C.P.O. disregarded by his colleagues and looked upon with contempt by his villagers. As he takes revenge for a humiliating incident, his life turns upside down. The original background score and a song were composed by Vishnu Shyam.
Principal photography began in February 2022. Kooman was released in theatres on 4 November 2022 to critical acclaim from critics and audiences. The film was a commercial success at the box office.

## Plot

Giri Shankar is a young CPO in his village police station. He is very observant and is an expert at finding clues. As a result, his senior officers, CI Pillai and SI Sukumaran Nair appreciate and encourage his detective skills, which also make a few of his fellow constables jealous. He is often annoyed by arrogant villagers who disrespect him.
Pillai scolds Giri for trying to file a drug smuggling case on a young man who had told Giri to remember his place as a constable. Pillai then retires from duty and a new cop named Harilal takes charge as the new CI. He is an egoistic cop who insults Giri for no reason. After being humiliated by the CI at a Kabbadi match, he vows to take revenge. He seeks the help of an old thief named Maniyan who teaches him how to successfully rob his neighbours. Unable to solve the string of robberies, Harilal and two constables are suspended. Giri's kleptomania became worse as he is caught in his attempt to rob Ramakrishna. This causes him to escape to Tamil Nadu. The next day, Giri finds out that Ramakrishna was found dead hanging from a tree. As he had seen a similar hanging earlier in the film, he realizes that there is a serial killer. Giri confesses his guilt to Pillai. Though sad and angry at Giri whom he liked a lot, he tries to help Giri overcome his disorder through counselling with a psychiatrist. Although Giri asked Pillai for permission to solve the case in Tamil Nadu, Giri learns from Senthil Kumar, another constable, that people who had died in similar circumstances had mysterious letters.
Giri learns the connection between people who commit suicide which leads to a meeting with Acharyan, who explains one of his former students was expelled for reading an illegal book and using illegal black magic. Giri finds out that Karuppu Durai is behind this. He finds an abandoned Temple where Durai performs black magic on people. Giri tries to stop Durai, but he is attacked by Lakshmi. It is revealed that Durai has hypnotized her and uses her as his ally for his dark magic. Both Durai and Lakshmi try to hang Giri, but he manages to escape and knocks down Lakshmi. Durai tries to wake her, but Giri puts the rope around Durai's neck to hang him. Giri saves Lakshmi and she is admitted in hospital. After a few days, Pillai and Sukumaran arrive at Giri's home to inform him that he was selected to join the Special Task Force. They then learn that a robbery happened last night. Pillai looks at Giri indicating that he's still addicted to robbing homes.

## Cast

* Asif Ali as CPO Giri Shankar
* Renji Panicker as CI Soman Pillai (Rtd.)
* Hannah Reji Koshy as Lakshmi Manoharan
* Jaffar Idukki as Maniyan
* Baburaj as CI Harilal Dev
* Meghanathan as SI Sukumaran Nair
* Baiju Santhosh as Thampi
* Nandhu as Subbayya Swami
* Pauly Valsan as Giri's mother
* Rajesh Paravoor as Manoharan, Lakshmi's father
* Karate Karthi as Karuppu Durai
* Adam Ayub as Acharyan
* Rifa as Dexter
* Abhiram Radhakrishnan as CPO Vinod
* Deepak Parambol as Suresh
* Jayan Cherthala as DYSP Prem Kumar
* Vinod Bose as CPO Subhash
* Prasant Murali as CPO Chandran
* Mohit Menon as Nepali Jawline
* Riyas Narmakala as Balan Pillai, Tea Shop Owner
* T. G. Ravi as Forest Ranger (Rtd.)
* George Maryan as Tamil Nadu CI
* Ramesh Thilak as Tamil Nadu CPO Senthil Kumar
* Kottayam Pradeep as CPO Rasheed
* Sundarapandiyan as Shaji, Thampi's assistant
* Sriya Nath as CPO Rani
* Femina Nelson as CPO Shiny
* Krishna as Lakshmi's mother
* Unni Chittoor as Ramaswami
* Anoop Menon as Psychiatrist Sandeep Mathew (cameo appearance)

## Production
### Development

Kooman was announced on 2 February 2022 with a title motion poster poster. Jeethu said it is a thriller.

### Filming

The makers started the principal photography on 24 February 2022 with the switch-on ceremony. It took 32 days to complete the shoot. The post-production of the film started in March and Jeethu Joseph himself announced the release date when the promotions for the film were ongoing.

## Release

The film was released on 4 November 2022. The official trailer of the film was released on 27 October 2022. The film received positive reviews.

## Reception
### Critical response

S.R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote, The investigative thriller might be director Jeethu Joseph's most comfortable space, but what keeps the interest alive is the main thread related to the vengeful character essayed masterfully by Asif Ali.
Shajin Shrijith of The New Indian Express wrote, Kooman, too, similarly exercises your brain. Considering what happens to Giri's career in the climax, I wish he would appear in the next Drishyam film.

## Music

The original background score and songs were composed by Vishnu Shyam.