'Law and Order' review: Ranjith’s old-school take on a modern issue, with a Mammootty cameo

The last time we saw Prakash Varma, he was a cop in 'Thudarum', and a menacing one at that. So, his return as a police officer could have easily felt like a repetition, especially after the impact of his previous role. Thankfully, 'Law and Order' gives him a different shade to work with. As DYSP Balagopal, Prakash plays a tenacious officer in the Law and Order department while also bringing warmth to his personal life as the husband of Veni (Abhirami), who is undergoing dialysis at home.

For Ranjith, who has created several massy and flawed protagonists, this is a somewhat different kind of cop. Unlike his much-loved Karikkamuri Shanmughan, Balagopal is not written as a larger-than-life hero. He is more grounded, vulnerable and closer to a realistic police officer. Prakash, meanwhile, brings his trademark style and screen presence to ensure that the character remains engaging.

But while Prakash brings a distinct personality to Balagopal, the character itself struggles to feel as fresh. This becomes the film’s larger weakness. Law and Order takes up a subject that is rooted in the present, but chooses to tell its story through a familiar police-action template, its contemporary concerns somehow feeling out of place in Ranjith's outmoded design.

Balagopal’s professional challenge is a powerful drug syndicate operating in Kochi. Drug abuse, particularly among youngsters, is a pressing concern, and Malayalam cinema has been exploring the criminal networks surrounding it with increasing frequency. The difference becomes particularly noticeable when the film is viewed alongside Jithu Ashraf and Shahi Kabeer’s Officer on Duty, which also deals with the drug trade but keeps its narrative more firmly anchored to the perspective of its police protagonist and some strong villain characters. In Law and Order, the story expands across a larger ensemble of characters, subplots, and stereotype villains, and as a result, its central viewpoint is not as sharply defined.

That lack of focus also affects the film’s treatment of its social message. Ranjith, who previously addressed alcohol abuse in Spirit, once again attempts to highlight the destructive consequences of substance abuse and the violent criminal ecosystem surrounding it. The intention is evident, but instead of allowing the subject to drive the drama, the film, written by Udayakrishna, often falls back on familiar elements—revenge, gang rivalries, police confrontations and the usual good-cop/bad-cop dynamics. These conventions keep the narrative moving, but they also make the film increasingly predictable.

The same dated sensibility extends to the five young police officers introduced into the story. Their friendship and loyalty recall the campus films of the 2000s, where the bond between a group of friends was often central to the narrative. There is nothing inherently wrong with that camaraderie, but here the characters sometimes feel as though they have been carried forward from that era without being sufficiently adapted to the present. Some bar scenes, situations and dialogue further reinforce this quality, making portions of the film feel archaic rather than contemporary.

The performances, however, help maintain the film’s momentum. Gayathri Ashokan and Anand Manmadhan make an impression with the screen time they receive, while Mammootty’s cameo may divide the audience.

Law and Order has a relevant subject and a committed performance from Prakash Varma, but its contemporary concerns are weighed down by a predictable action-drama structure and an unmistakably old-school approach. Unlike films that use the police perspective to sharpen their social commentary, this one spreads itself too thin across characters and familiar plot beats. It remains watchable, but rarely feels as fresh, focused or pointed as its subject demands.