Sethurama Iyer

{{Infobox character

| name = Sethurama Iyer

| series = CBI series

| image = Sethurama Iyer.jpg

| caption = Mammootty as Senior Superintendent Sethurama Iyer of CBI

| first = Oru CBI Diary Kurippu (1988)

| last = CBI 5: The Brain (2022)

| creator = S. N. Swamy

| portrayer = Mammootty

| gender = Male

| occupation = [[Central Bureau of Investigation|Deputy Superintendent - starting rank (first 2 parts of the series)

Senior Superintendent - current rank

in The Central Bureau of Investigation]]

| religion = Hindu (Iyer)

| nationality = Indian

}}

Senior Superintendent Sethurama Iyer CBI (alternate spelling Sethuramayyar) is a fictional character, and the main protagonist of the CBI series of investigative thriller films in Malayalam directed by K. Madhu. The character was played by Mammootty in five films so far.{{cite news| url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2005072202270100.htm&date=2005/07/22/&prd=fr& | title='I want to play lead roles' | access-date=26 September 2013 | last=Pillai | first=Sreedhar | url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091005101054/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2005/07/22/stories/2005072202270100.htm |archive-date=5 October 2009}}{{cite news|title=Mammootty's much-awaited 'CBI 5' starts rolling|website=Times Of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/mammoottys-much-awaited-cbi-5-starts-rolling/articleshow/87982349.cms|access-date=29 November 2021|archive-date=29 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129121322/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/mammoottys-much-awaited-cbi-5-starts-rolling/articleshow/87982349.cms|url-status=live}}

Sethurama Iyer is an investigative officer of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Indian equivalent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Iyer's popularity is attributed to the fact that he uses his brain rather than brawn to solve cases.{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/photo-features/unforgettable-dectective-roles-in-mollywood/photostory/53192862.cms|title=Unforgettable Dectective roles in Mollywood|date=13 July 2016|work=Times of India|access-date=29 May 2021|archive-date=15 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715085755/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/photo-features/unforgettable-dectective-roles-in-mollywood/photostory/53192862.cms|url-status=live}} The suspense-filled narration of the movies and the novelty of the investigative thriller genre also contributed to its success and becoming a household name among the moviegoers of Kerala. The character was inspired by a police officer named Radhavinod Raju, who in 2009 was appointed as the first chief of India's National Investigation Agency.{{Cite web |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/thiruvananthapuram/NIA-chief-inspired-hit-film-20-yrs-ago/Article1-368114.aspx |title=NIA chief inspired hit film 20 yrs ago |date=18 January 2009 |website=Hindusthan Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417164322/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/thiruvananthapuram/NIA-chief-inspired-hit-film-20-yrs-ago/Article1-368114.aspx |archive-date=17 April 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl1503/15030120.htm|title=A crack investigative team|publisher=hindu|access-date=20 August 2010|archive-date=18 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418005516/http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl1503/15030120.htm|url-status=live}}

Inspiration

The character is said to have been inspired by the police officer Radhavinod Raju, who in 2009 was appointed as the first chief of India's National Investigation Agency. Raju's excellence while probing the Polakulam Peethambaran murder case{{cite web|url=https://www.sify.com/movies/10-facts-about-the-cbi-diarykkurippu-series-news-malayalam-pl2lANjjbebhb.html|title=10 facts about the 'CBI Diarykkurippu' series|date=28 November 2015|work=Sify|access-date=29 May 2021|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212600/https://www.sify.com/movies/10-facts-about-the-cbi-diarykkurippu-series-news-malayalam-pl2lANjjbebhb.html|url-status=dead}} and SI Soman murder case, when he was acting as SP of CBI Kochi, attracted the attention of many.{{cite web|url=https://m.behindwoods.com/amp/tamil-movies-cinema-news-16/mammootty-to-act-as-sethurama-iyer-cbi-for-the-fifth-time.html|work=Behindwoods|title=Mammootty to do this character for the fifth time!|date=30 April 2017|access-date=29 May 2021|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214431/https://m.behindwoods.com/amp/tamil-movies-cinema-news-16/mammootty-to-act-as-sethurama-iyer-cbi-for-the-fifth-time.html|url-status=live}} His "Dummy-to-Dummy" experiment in Polakulam Peethambaran murder case was used in Oru CBI Diary Kurippu.{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/not-just-sukumara-kurup-6-spine-chilling-real-life-murders-have-inspired-malayalam-films|title=Not just Sukumara Kurup: 6 spine-chilling real-life murders that have inspired Malayalam films|work=The News Minute|access-date=29 May 2021|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212842/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/not-just-sukumara-kurup-6-spine-chilling-real-life-murders-have-inspired-malayalam-films|url-status=live}} When Oru CBI Diary Kurippu became a hit, Mammootty became more famous in films and Raju in his services. Incidentally, Raju was Mammootty's senior in Maharajas College.{{cite web|url=http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/movies/malayalam/125228/|title=Mamooty pays obeisance to 'Sethurama Iyer'|publisher=Mathrubhumi|access-date=22 June 2012|archive-date=24 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624075042/http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/movies/malayalam/125228/|url-status=live}}

Radhavinod Raju was also associated with the probes into Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and hijacking of Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar. The films Mission 90 Days and Kandahar were respectively inspired by the operations of Raju in these cases.{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/NIA-founder-RV-Raju-passes-away/articleshow/14312141.cms|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103214658/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-21/kochi/32351223_1_jammu-and-kashmir-radha-vinod-raju-probe-terror-related-cases|url-status=live|archive-date=3 January 2013|work=The Times of India|title=NIA founder RV Raju passes away|access-date=21 June 2012}}

Characterisation

File:Mammootty2013SOP.jpg, who portrayed Sethurama Iyer in the five films so far|left]]

Sethurama Iyer is depicted with a distinctive style in the films. The character is heavily based on Kerala Iyers.{{cite web|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/amp/news/features/happy-birthday-mammootty-4-films-will-make-fans-wish-return-superstars-beloved-characters-sethurama-iyer/|work=Bollywood Hungama|title=Happy Birthday Mammootty: 4 films that will make fans WISH for the return of the superstar's most beloved characters - Sethurama Iyer|date=7 September 2018|access-date=29 May 2021|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602221955/https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/amp/news/features/happy-birthday-mammootty-4-films-will-make-fans-wish-return-superstars-beloved-characters-sethurama-iyer/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/oru-cbi-diary-kurippu-why-mammoottys-detective-film-unsurpassed-124201|title='Oru CBI Diary Kurippu': Why Mammootty's detective film is unsurpassed|date=8 May 2020|work=The News Minute|access-date=29 May 2021|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212540/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/oru-cbi-diary-kurippu-why-mammoottys-detective-film-unsurpassed-124201|url-status=live}} Mammootty thus in the series speaks Malayalam with traces of Tamil to represent the fact that the native language of this community is Tamil. The most characteristic mannerism associated with him is his peculiar gait, as he folds both his arms behind his back while walking.{{cite web|url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/movie-news/ali-imran-cbi-became-sethurama-iyer-cbi-because-of-mammootty-k-madhu-director-cbi-movie-series-1.2307681|work=Mathrubhumi|title=Ali Imran CBI became Sethurama Iyer CBI because of Mammootty!|date=13 October 2017|access-date=29 May 2021|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213523/https://english.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/movie-news/ali-imran-cbi-became-sethurama-iyer-cbi-because-of-mammootty-k-madhu-director-cbi-movie-series-1.2307681|url-status=live}} He used to scratch his head using forefinger as a gesture while he is in intense conceptualization.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} In the second movie, Jagratha, he was shown chewing betel, but this was dropped in the later films.{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/30-years-oru-cbi-diary-kurippu-mammootty-film-redefined-crime-thrillers-76958|work=The News Minute|title=30 years of 'Oru CBI Diary Kurippu', the Mammootty film that redefined crime thrillers|access-date=29 May 2021|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212459/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/30-years-oru-cbi-diary-kurippu-mammootty-film-redefined-crime-thrillers-76958|url-status=live}} He is deceptively calm, rarely raises his voice and walks briskly. His entries and exits in most scenes of the movies are punctuated by the signature background score of the series, composed by Shyam. He is always shown wearing a kumkum stripe on his forehead. He usually wears plain light-coloured half-sleeve shirts and dark plain trousers, without tucking in. He is married, and has a son, who appears in the film Jagratha, though not reappearing later. He is a teetotaler, vegetarian and a God-fearing, devout family man.{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/trends/2018/aug/20/brains-and-brawn-style-and-substance-7511.html|work=Cinema Express|title=Brains and brawn, style and substance|access-date=29 May 2021|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212459/https://www.cinemaexpress.com/stories/trends/2018/aug/20/brains-and-brawn-style-and-substance-7511.html|url-status=live}}

Originally K. Madhu, the director of the film series had visualised the protagonist of the first film in the series as a tough cop named Ali Imran. It was Mammootty who convinced him that a pious intelligent Tamil Brahmin would be better.