{ "id": "epqz09r1h1", "slug": "kerala-crime-files", "title": "Kerala Crime Files", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia", "label": "South and Southeast Asian serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials", "label": "South Asian web serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials", "label": "India · 2021 and later: South Asian web serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials", "path": [ { "id": "geo.ind", "label": "India", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021", "label": "India · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials", "label": "South Asian web serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Kerala Crime Files (കേരള ക്രൈം ഫയൽസ്) is a Malayalam crime thriller web series, Disney+ Hotstar's first Malayalam original, directed by Ahammed Khabeer, starring Aju Varghese and Lal; Season 1 premiered June 23, 2023, Season 2 on JioHotstar June 20, 2025.", "snippet": "Kerala Crime Files (കേരള ക്രൈം ഫയൽസ്) is a Malayalam crime thriller web series, Disney+ Hotstar's first Malayalam original, directed by Ahammed Khabeer, starring Aju Varghese and Lal; Season 1 premiered June 23, 2023, Season 2 on JioHotstar June 20, 2025.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials", "markdown": "# Kerala Crime Files\n\n**Kerala Crime Files** (കേരള ക്രൈം ഫയൽസ്) is an Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller streaming television series, the first Malayalam original series commissioned by [Disney+ Hotstar](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-hotstar), directed by Ahammed Khabeer and first streamed on June 23, 2023.[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2023/May/19/kerala-crime-files-inside-malayalams-first-disney-hotstar-original-series-43626.html) Its first season, subtitled *Shiju, Parayil Veedu, Neendakara*, follows a police team investigating the murder of a sex worker in Kochi, and its second season, *The Search for CPO Ambili Raju*, premiered on JioHotstar on June 20, 2025.[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2023/Jun/23/kerala-crime-files-review-an-authentic-and-absorbing-police-procedural-44920.html) • [3](https://cdn.jiostar.com/jiostar/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Second-Trailer-for-Kerala-Crime-Files-Season-2-Out-Now-Streaming-from-June-20-on-JioHotstar.pdf)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Format | Malayalam-language crime thriller web series; Season 1 has six episodes of roughly 30 minutes each[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2023/May/19/kerala-crime-files-inside-malayalams-first-disney-hotstar-original-series-43626.html) |\n| First season | *Kerala Crime Files: Shiju, Parayil Veedu, Neendakara*, streamed from June 23, 2023 on Disney+ Hotstar[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2023/Jun/23/kerala-crime-files-review-an-authentic-and-absorbing-police-procedural-44920.html) |\n| Key personnel | Directed by Ahammed Khabeer; Season 1 written by Ashiq Aimar, produced by Rahul Riji Nair (First Print Studios); Season 2 written by Bahul Ramesh[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2023/May/19/kerala-crime-files-inside-malayalams-first-disney-hotstar-original-series-43626.html) • [3](https://cdn.jiostar.com/jiostar/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Second-Trailer-for-Kerala-Crime-Files-Season-2-Out-Now-Streaming-from-June-20-on-JioHotstar.pdf) |\n| Lead cast | Aju Varghese and Lal in both seasons; Arjun Radhakrishnan and Indrans join Season 2[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2023/May/19/kerala-crime-files-inside-malayalams-first-disney-hotstar-original-series-43626.html) • [3](https://cdn.jiostar.com/jiostar/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Second-Trailer-for-Kerala-Crime-Files-Season-2-Out-Now-Streaming-from-June-20-on-JioHotstar.pdf) |\n| Language versions | Season 2 streams in seven Indian languages: Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Hindi, and Bengali[3](https://cdn.jiostar.com/jiostar/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Second-Trailer-for-Kerala-Crime-Files-Season-2-Out-Now-Streaming-from-June-20-on-JioHotstar.pdf) |\n| Viewership | Season 2 drew 6.9 million viewers, the highest among Malayalam fiction series in Ormax Media's mid-year 2025 top-50 streaming originals list[4](https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/regional-language-web-shows-ott-viewership-broadband-penetration-hindi-entertainment-industry-movies-tv-11763206283533.html) |\n| IMDb rating | 7.3/10 from about 3,100 user ratings[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27128638/ratings/) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Season 1: Shiju, Parayil Veedu, Neendakara\n\nThe first season is a murder mystery centered on the killing of a sex worker named Swapna in a dilapidated lodge in [Ernakulam](https://www.edgepedia.org/ernakulam) city. The only lead the police hold is an address, \"Shiju, Parayil Veedu, Neendakara\", given by the suspect at the lodge, and the six-episode screenplay by Ashiq Aimar follows the investigation over the six days after the body is found.[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2023/Jun/23/kerala-crime-files-review-an-authentic-and-absorbing-police-procedural-44920.html) The story is set in Kochi in 2011, a choice that limits the role of modern technology in crime-solving; most information comes from local inquiries and connecting details rather than digital forensics.[6](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/kerala-crime-files-review-tightly-woven-police-procedural-malayalam-aju-varghese-lal-8682717/) • [2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2023/Jun/23/kerala-crime-files-review-an-authentic-and-absorbing-police-procedural-44920.html)\n\n**Characters and structure.** [Aju Varghese](https://www.edgepedia.org/aju-varghese) plays Sub Inspector Manoj Sreedharan, who heads the investigation, and Lal plays Circle Inspector Kurian Avaran, his short-tempered superior who craves publicity. Each episode is titled after a stage of police investigation: Crime Scene, Mahazar, Detection, Findings, Evidence, and Charge Sheet, reflecting research into how Kerala police actually work a case.[6](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/kerala-crime-files-review-tightly-woven-police-procedural-malayalam-aju-varghese-lal-8682717/) • [2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2023/Jun/23/kerala-crime-files-review-an-authentic-and-absorbing-police-procedural-44920.html) Reviewers noted that the series also weaves in the personal lives of the officers, and that it avoids many standard crime-thriller tropes.[7](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/kerala-crime-files-review-this-well-written-and-engaging-malayalam-thriller-is-a-compelling-watch-2396892-2023-06-23) • [8](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2023/06/23/kerala-crime-files-review-lal-aju-varghese-thriller-ahammed-khabeer.html)\n\n**Origins.** Khabeer and Aimar found the story thread while visiting the Central Police Station in Kochi for reference on another project. Although the premise came from material picked up from the police, Khabeer has said the series is not based on a true story.[9](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2023/06/22/kerala-crime-files-lal-aju-varghese-disney-hotstar-first-malayalam-web-series-ahammed-khabeer.html) The team deliberately cast actors who were audience favorites but not superstars, so the investigators would read as ordinary human beings rather than figures whose success the audience takes for granted.[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2023/May/19/kerala-crime-files-inside-malayalams-first-disney-hotstar-original-series-43626.html)\n\n### Season 2: The Search for CPO Ambili Raju\n\nThe second season premiered on June 20, 2025 on JioHotstar, with story, screenplay, and dialogues by Bahul Ramesh, the writer of the film *Kishkindha Kaandam* (2024), and production by Hassan Rasheed, Ahammed Khabeer, and Jithin Stanislaus under the Monkey Business banner.[3](https://cdn.jiostar.com/jiostar/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Second-Trailer-for-Kerala-Crime-Files-Season-2-Out-Now-Streaming-from-June-20-on-JioHotstar.pdf) It was the first Malayalam show on a streaming platform to be renewed for a second season; Khabeer approached Ramesh after reading an early draft of *Kishkindha Kaandam*.[10](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/interviews/didnt-want-the-crime-to-be-shown-bahul-ramesh-on-writing-kerala-crime-files-season-2)\n\nThe season abandons the Season 1 case entirely and follows the disappearance of civil police officer Ambili Raju (Indrans) from a rural police station in [Thiruvananthapuram](https://www.edgepedia.org/thiruvananthapuram), investigated by the newly posted SHO Kurian Avaran (Lal) and SI Noble ([Arjun Radhakrishnan](https://www.edgepedia.org/arjun-radhakrishnan)).[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/kerala-crime-files-season-2-review-a-sequel-thats-just-as-gripping-as-season-1-10078155/) • [12](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2025/Jun/20/kerala-crime-files-s2-review-a-worthy-upgrade-with-stronger-emotional-resonance) Unlike Season 1, it is set in the present day, so call detail records, tower locations, CCTV footage, and forensics all enter the investigation.[12](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2025/Jun/20/kerala-crime-files-s2-review-a-worthy-upgrade-with-stronger-emotional-resonance) Ramesh set himself two constraints in writing it: the word \"post-mortem\" never appears, and the actual crime is never shown on screen.[10](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/interviews/didnt-want-the-crime-to-be-shown-bahul-ramesh-on-writing-kerala-crime-files-season-2)\n\n## Reception and viewership\n\nSeason 1 drew generally favorable reviews, with ratings of 3.5 out of 5 from [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express), Cinema Express, and India Today, which praised its grounded procedural style and the performances of Varghese and Lal.[6](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/kerala-crime-files-review-tightly-woven-police-procedural-malayalam-aju-varghese-lal-8682717/) • [2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2023/Jun/23/kerala-crime-files-review-an-authentic-and-absorbing-police-procedural-44920.html) • [7](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/kerala-crime-files-review-this-well-written-and-engaging-malayalam-thriller-is-a-compelling-watch-2396892-2023-06-23) On IMDb the series holds a 7.3/10 rating from about 3,100 users.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27128638/ratings/)\n\nSeason 2 became the most-watched Malayalam series on JioHotstar.[10](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/interviews/didnt-want-the-crime-to-be-shown-bahul-ramesh-on-writing-kerala-crime-files-season-2) In Ormax Media's mid-year 2025 list of India's top 50 streaming originals, Kerala Crime Files Season 2 ranked as the leading Malayalam fiction series with 6.9 million viewers, behind the Tamil series *Suzhal – The Vortex Season 2* (8.3 million) and *Heart Beat* (7 million).[4](https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/regional-language-web-shows-ott-viewership-broadband-penetration-hindi-entertainment-industry-movies-tv-11763206283533.html) Industry reporting on 2025 OTT trends noted that the Malayalam thriller trended nationally, part of a year in which more than 58 percent of new OTT viewership came from non-Hindi content.[13](https://indiantelevision.com/news-headline/how-ott-rewrote-the-rulebook-in-2025-251224/)\n\n## Significance for Malayalam long-form storytelling\n\nBefore Kerala Crime Files, Malayalam cinema had produced few streaming originals; earlier episodic attempts existed, but none with comparable production backing from a mainstream platform.[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2023/May/19/kerala-crime-files-inside-malayalams-first-disney-hotstar-original-series-43626.html) The series opened a new chapter for the industry as the maiden web series backed by a mainstream streamer, and its renewal made it the first Malayalam OTT show to get a second season.[12](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2025/Jun/20/kerala-crime-files-s2-review-a-worthy-upgrade-with-stronger-emotional-resonance) • [10](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/interviews/didnt-want-the-crime-to-be-shown-bahul-ramesh-on-writing-kerala-crime-files-season-2)\n\nKhabeer has described structural limits that still shape Malayalam streaming shows: episodes remain within a 25-minute framework rather than the 50-minute format common in Hindi series, because platforms believe Malayalam audiences prefer shorter episodes designed for a single sitting. He has said a third season has been discussed with the platform.[14](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/interviews/kerala-crime-files-director-ahmed-kabeer-why-malayalam-shows-arent-as-great-as-its-movies)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Kerala Crime Files: Inside Malayalam's first Disney+ Hotstar original series, Cinema Express (May 19, 2023)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2023/May/19/kerala-crime-files-inside-malayalams-first-disney-hotstar-original-series-43626.html)\n2. [Kerala Crime Files Review: An authentic and absorbing police procedural, Cinema Express (June 23, 2023)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2023/Jun/23/kerala-crime-files-review-an-authentic-and-absorbing-police-procedural-44920.html)\n3. [Second Trailer for Kerala Crime Files Season 2 Out Now; Streaming from June 20 on JioHotstar, JioStar press release](https://cdn.jiostar.com/jiostar/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Second-Trailer-for-Kerala-Crime-Files-Season-2-Out-Now-Streaming-from-June-20-on-JioHotstar.pdf)\n4. [OTT platforms bet big on regional originals. But is viewership catching up?, Mint (November 17, 2025)](https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/regional-language-web-shows-ott-viewership-broadband-penetration-hindi-entertainment-industry-movies-tv-11763206283533.html)\n5. [Kerala Crime Files (TV Series 2023– ) – Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27128638/ratings/)\n6. [Kerala Crime Files review: A tightly-woven police procedural, The Indian Express (June 23, 2023)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/kerala-crime-files-review-tightly-woven-police-procedural-malayalam-aju-varghese-lal-8682717/)\n7. [Kerala Crime Files Review, India Today (June 23, 2023)](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/kerala-crime-files-review-this-well-written-and-engaging-malayalam-thriller-is-a-compelling-watch-2396892-2023-06-23)\n8. ['Kerala Crime Files' review: A neatly packed soft police procedural, Onmanorama (June 23, 2023)](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2023/06/23/kerala-crime-files-review-lal-aju-varghese-thriller-ahammed-khabeer.html)\n9. [We felt Lal, Aju Varghese will make a perfect combo in 'Kerala Crime Files': Director Ahammed Khabeer, Onmanorama (June 22, 2023)](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2023/06/22/kerala-crime-files-lal-aju-varghese-disney-hotstar-first-malayalam-web-series-ahammed-khabeer.html)\n10. ['Kerala Crime Files' Season 2 | 'Didn't Want The Crime To Be Shown': Writer Bahul Ramesh, The Hollywood Reporter India (July 4, 2025)](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/interviews/didnt-want-the-crime-to-be-shown-bahul-ramesh-on-writing-kerala-crime-files-season-2)\n11. [Kerala Crime Files Season 2 review, The Indian Express (June 20, 2025)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/kerala-crime-files-season-2-review-a-sequel-thats-just-as-gripping-as-season-1-10078155/)\n12. [Kerala Crime Files S2 Review: A worthy upgrade with stronger emotional resonance, Cinema Express (June 20, 2025)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2025/Jun/20/kerala-crime-files-s2-review-a-worthy-upgrade-with-stronger-emotional-resonance)\n13. [How OTT rewrote the rulebook in 2025, Indian Television Dot Com](https://indiantelevision.com/news-headline/how-ott-rewrote-the-rulebook-in-2025-251224/)\n14. ['Kerala Crime Files' Director Ahammed Khabeer: Why Malayalam Shows Aren't As Great As Its Movies, The Hollywood Reporter India (July 10, 2025)](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/interviews/kerala-crime-files-director-ahmed-kabeer-why-malayalam-shows-arent-as-great-as-its-movies)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › South and Southeast Asian serials › South Asian web serials*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/kerala-crime-files", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/kerala-crime-files.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Kerala Crime Files\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/kerala-crime-files. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Kerala Crime Files](https://www.edgepedia.org/kerala-crime-files)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/kerala-crime-files](https://www.edgepedia.org/kerala-crime-files). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Kerala Crime Files\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/kerala-crime-files. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Kerala Crime Files is a Malayalam crime thriller web series, Disney+ Hotstar's first Malayalam original, directed by Ahammed Khabeer, starring Aju Varghese and Lal; Season 1 premiered June 23, 2023, Season 2 on JioHotstar June 20, 2025." }