# Kannur Squad
**Kannur Squad** (കണ്ണൂർ സ്ക്വാഡ്) is a 2023 Malayalam-language police procedural film directed by Roby Varghese Raj in his directorial debut, starring [Mammootty](https://www.edgepedia.org/mammootty) as Assistant Sub-Inspector George Martin, who leads a four-member Kerala police team on an inter-state manhunt for a gang of criminals.[1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/kannur-squad-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmde2mze5) Produced by Mammootty under his banner Mammootty Kampany, the film was released in Indian theaters on 28 September 2023 and became a commercial success, earning about Rs 1 billion (Rs 100 crore) worldwide and emerging as the third highest grossing Malayalam film of the year.[2](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/Sep/30/kannur-squad-story-rejection-15-rewrites-mammootty-now-a-hit-2619414.html) • [3](https://webfiles.amrita.edu/2024/02/gAaavqyW-udaan-november-2023.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 28 September 2023 (India); 161 minutes; CBFC certificate U/A[4](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/kannur-squad.html) |
| Director / lead | Roby Varghese Raj's directorial debut; Mammootty as ASI George Martin[1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/kannur-squad-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmde2mze5) |
| Production | Mammootty Kampany, its third production venture; budget reported at ₹300 million (₹30 crore)[2](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/Sep/30/kannur-squad-story-rejection-15-rewrites-mammootty-now-a-hit-2619414.html) • [4](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/kannur-squad.html) |
| Writers | Story by Muhammed Shafi, screenplay shared with actor Rony David Raj[5](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/malayalam/news/2023/Apr/07/its-a-wrap-for-mammoottys-kannur-squad-42039.html) |
| Basis | Inspired by the real Kannur Squad of the Kerala Police, formed by former Kannur SP S Sreejith, active roughly 2007 to 2017 with nine members[6](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/09/30/kannur-squad-malayalam-movie-rony-david-mammootty.amp.html) • [7](https://pulseofcinema.com/en/film/kannur-squad/) |
| Box office | About Rs 1 billion (Rs 100 crore) worldwide; third highest grossing Malayalam film of 2023[3](https://webfiles.amrita.edu/2024/02/gAaavqyW-udaan-november-2023.pdf) |
| Streaming | Disney+ Hotstar from 17 November 2023; Hulu in the United States[4](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/kannur-squad.html) • [8](https://filmi.ai/film/kannur-squad-2023/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and premise
The film follows a special four-member police investigation team from [Kannur district](https://www.edgepedia.org/kannur-district). After a murder and robbery at a politician's house in [Kasaragod](https://www.edgepedia.org/kasaragod) triggers state-wide protests, ASI George Martin is asked to reassemble his squad and track the culprits, an investigation that leads the team across northern India, including [Uttar Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/uttar-pradesh), as they try to bring the accused back to Kerala.[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-reviews/kannur-squad/movie-review/104015423.cms) • [10](https://www.ottplay.com/review/kannur-squad-movie-review-mammoottys-police-procedural-is-an-engaging-expertly-crafted-crime-drama/18b19b7fdf981) The squad members are George (Mammootty), Jayan (Rony David), Shafi (Shabareesh Varma), and Jose (Azeez Nedumangad).[11](https://www.theweek.in/review/movies/2023/09/28/kannur-squad-review-this-mammootty-starrer-is-a-blend-of-both-worlds.html) A recurring plot point is the team's low rank: George is told by a senior that as low-ranking officials they have no provision for flight tickets to Uttar Pradesh, and the team travels in a Tata Sumo.[12](https://www.ottplay.com/features/from-commissioner-to-kannur-squad-malayalam-cop-films-have-come-of-age/60845d2868975)
The [British Board of Film Classification](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-board-of-film-classification), which certified the film for UK cinema release on 13 October 2023, described it as an "often brutal and real-world Malayalam language crime thriller" in which an elite team of detectives journeys across the country in search of a gang of robbers, and passed it with advice for strong violence, threat, language, injury detail, and sexual violence.[1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/kannur-squad-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmde2mze5)
## The real squad
The film draws on a real [Kerala Police](https://www.edgepedia.org/kerala-police) unit of the same name, formed by then Kannur district police chief S. Sreejith to expedite case resolutions, active from roughly 2007 to 2017 with nine members.[6](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/09/30/kannur-squad-malayalam-movie-rony-david-mammootty.amp.html) • [7](https://pulseofcinema.com/en/film/kannur-squad/) The real team was led by Assistant Sub-Inspector Baby George and included Additional Sub-inspector Mathew Jose and senior civil police officers Raphy Ahmed M A, Vinodkumar P, Manojkumar K, Sunilkumar C, Jayarajan K, Reji Skaria, and Rajasekar C K; the team worked together for a decade.[13](https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2023/oct/18/the-hit-squad-2624817.html) Baby George recalled being part of the team that caught several accused in one case: three from a hillock in Iritty, one from Mumbai, and another in Bengaluru.[13](https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2023/oct/18/the-hit-squad-2624817.html) After the film's release, real squad members watched it, and Sreejith said it made the Kerala Police proud.[7](https://pulseofcinema.com/en/film/kannur-squad/) The film itself features only four cops and two specific cases from the period spanning 2007 to 2017.[14](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/kannur-squad-movie-review-rating-roby-varghese-raj-mammootty-police-procedural-solid-yet-lacks-freshness-8959935/)
## Production
The script originated in a feature called Kannur Squad published in the Manorama weekly.[15](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/10/02/kannur-squad-malayalam-movie-mammootty-rony-roby-rajan.html) Roby Varghese Raj and his elder brother Rony David Raj began developing it during the Covid-19 pandemic; their initial documentary-style draft was rejected by a well-known Malayalam actor, and the brothers refined it through roughly 15 rewrites before approaching Mammootty, who agreed to both star in and produce the film.[2](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/Sep/30/kannur-squad-story-rejection-15-rewrites-mammootty-now-a-hit-2619414.html) Rony David described the project as the result of four years of work, with post-production lasting five to six months.[6](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/09/30/kannur-squad-malayalam-movie-rony-david-mammootty.amp.html)
**Shooting.** The film went on floors in December 2022 and completed a 91-day schedule on 6 April 2023, wrapping in Wayanad. Major locations included Kannur, Kasargod, Wayanad, Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Pune, Mumbai, Mangalore, Belgaum, Coimbatore, and parts of Uttar Pradesh.[5](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/malayalam/news/2023/Apr/07/its-a-wrap-for-mammoottys-kannur-squad-42039.html) • [16](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/its-a-wrap-for-mammootty-starrer-kannur-squad/articleshow/99316840.cms) The technical crew included cinematographer Muhammed Rahil, editor Praveen Prabhakar, composer [Sushin Shyam](https://www.edgepedia.org/sushin-shyam), sound designer Tony Babu, and production designer Shaji Naduvil.[16](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/its-a-wrap-for-mammootty-starrer-kannur-squad/articleshow/99316840.cms)
**The Rajan family backstory.** The brothers' father, C T Rajan, produced the 1989 film *Mahayanam*, directed by Joshiy, written by A K Lohitadas, and starring Mammootty and Seema. Despite critical acclaim, the film failed at the box office, and the family, which had named its production banner Honey Productions after a hoped-for daughter, was forced to sell its house and a house under construction and move to Palghat.[15](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/10/02/kannur-squad-malayalam-movie-mammootty-rony-roby-rajan.html) Kannur Squad, produced by Mammootty himself, reunited the family with the actor more than 30 years after *Mahayanam*.[2](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/Sep/30/kannur-squad-story-rejection-15-rewrites-mammootty-now-a-hit-2619414.html)
## Reception
Critics generally received the film as a well-made procedural. [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) rated it 3 out of 5, calling it "a solid police procedural that unfolds at a measured tempo" while noting resemblances to earlier films in the genre.[14](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/kannur-squad-movie-review-rating-roby-varghese-raj-mammootty-police-procedural-solid-yet-lacks-freshness-8959935/) The Times of India, also at 3 out of 5, singled out the fast-paced second half.[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-reviews/kannur-squad/movie-review/104015423.cms) Reviewers praised Mammootty's restrained performance, the supporting cast, and Muhammed Rahil's cinematography, while several found the screenplay familiar and the pre-interval stretch loose.[8](https://filmi.ai/film/kannur-squad-2023/) Aggregating nine critic reviews, Filmi computed a score of 69 out of 100, with readings running from 52 (Onmanorama) to 85 (Film Companion).[8](https://filmi.ai/film/kannur-squad-2023/)
Commercially, the film earned about Rs 1 billion (Rs 100 crore) worldwide and became the third highest grossing Malayalam film of 2023, and it was reported as Mammootty's first Rs 1 billion (Rs 100 crore) blockbuster and his highest grossing film to that point.[3](https://webfiles.amrita.edu/2024/02/gAaavqyW-udaan-november-2023.pdf) • [17](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/11/24/kannur-squad-theeran-adhigaaram-ondru-comparisons.html) • [18](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/kannur-squad-director-roby-varghese-raj-on-why-he-scripted-the-tikri-village-scene-in-the-mammootty-starrer/fa59f06b1c628)
## Comparisons with similar films
Because its premise, South Indian police officers traveling to another region to capture criminals, resembles earlier films, viewers frequently compared Kannur Squad with [Rajeev Ravi](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajeev-ravi)'s *Kuttavum Shikshayum* (2022) and Karthi's Tamil film *Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru* (2017).[14](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/kannur-squad-movie-review-rating-roby-varghese-raj-mammootty-police-procedural-solid-yet-lacks-freshness-8959935/) • [17](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/11/24/kannur-squad-theeran-adhigaaram-ondru-comparisons.html) Onmanorama's comparison noted differences: in *Theeran* the hero is a DCP directing subordinates from a police station, while Mammootty's ASI is always in the field; *Theeran* is based on Operation Bawaria of the [Tamil Nadu](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-nadu) police, while Kannur Squad draws on the Kerala unit; and the Malayalam film omits a romantic subplot common to commercial cinema.[17](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/11/24/kannur-squad-theeran-adhigaaram-ondru-comparisons.html) Director Roby Varghese Raj acknowledged that the one-line premise, cops chasing a group of criminals, was not new, and said the scripting challenge was making it different; he also stated that the film is not a realistic film, though the first half probably falls in that category.[18](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/kannur-squad-director-roby-varghese-raj-on-why-he-scripted-the-tikri-village-scene-in-the-mammootty-starrer/fa59f06b1c628)
The film sits within a recent wave of Malayalam police procedurals centered on lower-ranking officers rather than senior brass, alongside films such as *Unda* (2019), *Nayattu*, and *Operation Java*.[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-reviews/kannur-squad/movie-review/104015423.cms) • [10](https://www.ottplay.com/review/kannur-squad-movie-review-mammoottys-police-procedural-is-an-engaging-expertly-crafted-crime-drama/18b19b7fdf981)
## References
1. [Kannur Squad, British Board of Film Classification](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/kannur-squad-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmde2mze5)
2. ['Kannur Squad' story: Rejection, 15 rewrites, Mammootty and now a hit!, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/Sep/30/kannur-squad-story-rejection-15-rewrites-mammootty-now-a-hit-2619414.html)
3. [UDAAN Monthly Newsletter, November 2023, Amrita University](https://webfiles.amrita.edu/2024/02/gAaavqyW-udaan-november-2023.pdf)
4. [Kannur Squad, Filmibeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/kannur-squad.html)
5. [It's a wrap for Mammootty's Kannur Squad, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/malayalam/news/2023/Apr/07/its-a-wrap-for-mammoottys-kannur-squad-42039.html)
6. ['Kannur Squad' is the result of four years of my hardwork: Rony David, Onmanorama](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/09/30/kannur-squad-malayalam-movie-rony-david-mammootty.amp.html)
7. [Kannur Squad (2023): Plot, Cast & Where to Watch, Pulse of Cinema](https://pulseofcinema.com/en/film/kannur-squad/)
8. [Kannur Squad (2023) review, Filmi](https://filmi.ai/film/kannur-squad-2023/)
9. [Kannur Squad Movie Review: Mammootty's police drama gets exciting in second half, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-reviews/kannur-squad/movie-review/104015423.cms)
10. [Kannur Squad movie review: Mammootty's police procedural is an engaging, expertly-crafted crime drama, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/review/kannur-squad-movie-review-mammoottys-police-procedural-is-an-engaging-expertly-crafted-crime-drama/18b19b7fdf981)
11. ['Kannur Squad' review: This Mammootty-starrer is a blend of both worlds, The Week](https://www.theweek.in/review/movies/2023/09/28/kannur-squad-review-this-mammootty-starrer-is-a-blend-of-both-worlds.html)
12. [From Commissioner To Kannur Squad, How Malayalam Cop Films Came Of Age, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/features/from-commissioner-to-kannur-squad-malayalam-cop-films-have-come-of-age/60845d2868975)
13. [The 'hit' squad, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2023/oct/18/the-hit-squad-2624817.html)
14. [Kannur Squad movie review: Mammootty's police procedural is solid, yet lacks freshness, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/kannur-squad-movie-review-rating-roby-varghese-raj-mammootty-police-procedural-solid-yet-lacks-freshness-8959935/)
15. ['Kannur Squad': A tale of resilience and redemption for the Rajan brothers, Onmanorama](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/10/02/kannur-squad-malayalam-movie-mammootty-rony-roby-rajan.html)
16. [It's a wrap for Mammootty starrer 'Kannur Squad', The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/its-a-wrap-for-mammootty-starrer-kannur-squad/articleshow/99316840.cms)
17. ['Kannur Squad' vs 'Theeran - Adhigaaram Ondru': Do comparisons hold water?, Onmanorama](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/11/24/kannur-squad-theeran-adhigaaram-ondru-comparisons.html)
18. [Kannur Squad director Roby Varghese Raj on why he scripted the Tikri village scene, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/kannur-squad-director-roby-varghese-raj-on-why-he-scripted-the-tikri-village-scene-in-the-mammootty-starrer/fa59f06b1c628)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Malayalam films of the 2020s › Malayalam films of 2022 and 2023*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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