Sethurama Iyer CBI

{{Infobox film

| name = Sethurama Iyer CBI

| image = Sethurama Iyer CBI.jpg

| caption = DVD cover

| starring = Mammootty
Mukesh
Jagathy Sreekumar

| director = K. Madhu

| producer = K. Madhu

| writer = S. N. Swamy

| music = Shyam

| cinematography = Saloo George

| editing = P. C. Mohanan

| studio = Krishnakripa Release

| distributor = Swargachitra films

| released = {{Film date|2004|1|23|df=y}}

| runtime =

| country = India

| language = Malayalam

| budget = {{INR|3.35 crore}}

| gross = {{Estimation}} {{INR|16 crore}}

}}

Sethurama Iyer CBI is a 2004 Indian Malayalam-language mystery crime film directed by K. Madhu and written by S. N. Swamy. It stars Mammootty in the title role, alongside Mukesh and Jagathy Sreekumar in supporting roles. Shyam composed the background score for the film.

The film is the third installment in the CBI film series, featuring Mammootty as CBI officer Sethurama Iyer. The film was a blockbuster and was the highest-grossing film of the year collecting around distributors share of ₹4 crore and a gross around ₹10 crore.{{Cite web|date=2018-03-18|title=Mammootty-Man of the Year|website=Sify |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/Mammootty-Man-Of-The-Year-imagegallery-6-Movies-jdwmGdfhdgi.html|access-date=2021-06-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318182754/http://www.sify.com/movies/Mammootty-Man-Of-The-Year-imagegallery-6-Movies-jdwmGdfhdgi.html|archive-date=18 March 2018}} The success of the film made Mammootty "Man of the year". The base story and initial scenes are adopted from Arthur Hailey's novel Detective. Some of the scenes of the film are also loosely based on the 2001 Aluva massacre.Detective (novel)

Plot

The movie begins with Sethurama Iyer visiting Isow Alex, a convicted serial killer who is awaiting his execution. Alex was arrested and convicted for the cold-blooded murder of seven people in two different families, unrelated to each other, on the same night. Alex, who had been living a wild life then, had committed the crime high on narcotic drugs. The murder case was left to the CBI for investigation and an able officer, Balagopal, nabbed Alex in no time. Alex is now a new man, mainly due to the influence of a priest, who requests Iyer to visit Alex.

What Alex tells Iyer is startling; he didn't commit one of the seven murders he was convicted for. The murder was that of Manikkunju, a businessman. Manikkunju, along with his daughter-in-law Mosi, was murdered at his house. Alex tells this all the same confessing that he murdered Mosi. The possibility of another killer involved is very remote and Alex is a serial killer who thoroughly denied any hand in the murders when he was arrested, but yet Iyer decides to reopen the case and investigate. He faces many odds; to prove Alex right would be proving his own bureau wrong and to prove Alex wrong would be wasting time and money.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Mammootty as Sethurama Iyer, SP of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
Mukesh as Chacko, CI of CBI
Jagathy Sreekumar as Vikram, DYSP of CBI
Siddique as Balagopal, DYSP of CBI
Jagadish as Tailor Mani
Kalabhavan Mani as Isow Alex
Saikumar as DYSP Sathyadas
Vineeth Kumar as Ganesh, SI of CBI
Janardhanan as Ouseppachan
Sreenath as Sunny
Rajan P. Dev as Sub Registrar Bahuleyan
Oduvil Unnikrishnan as Adiyodi
Paravoor Ramachandran as Zachariah (Manikunju)
Geetha Vijayan as Mosi
Navya Nair as Rachana, Sethurama Iyer's niece
Nandana as Reshmi, Sethurama Iyer's niece
Kunchan as Krishna Iyer
Urmila Unni as Meenakshi Iyer
Appa Haja as Monichan
Poornima Anand as Dr. Vijayalakshmi (police surgeon)
Kalpana as Vijayamma Mani
Mala Aravindan as Kuzhivetti Mathai
Kalasala Babu as Nair, CBI director
Bharath Gopi as Fr. Gomez
Adoor Bhavani as Mary
Shammi Thilakan as CI Pavithran, Crime Branch
Subair as Sharngadaran
KPAC Sabu as Kolady Varkey
Suraj Venjaramoodu as a broker
Kollam Ajith as Sub-inspector
J. Pallassery as Temple committee member
K. T. S. Padannayil as Temple committee member
Kochaniyan as Simon, Mosi's father
Lissy Jose as Molly, Mosi's mother
Kulappulli Leela as Servant Mariyakkutty
Aniyappan as Auto driver
Kailas Nath as Chef Ambiswamy
Sukumaran as Retd. DYSP Devadas, Sathyadas's late father (photo presence)
Prathapachandran as Narayanan, Ouseppachan's late friend (photo presence)
Vijayaraghavan as Johnykutty (mentioned only)
Lissy as Omana, Sunny's late wife (mentioned only)

}}

Production

Originally, the CBI officer in the film Oru CBI Diary Kuruppu was supposed to be a rough-and-tough cop named Ali Imran. It was Mammootty who suggested that a simple-looking brahmin who uses his brains more than his brawn would be a better idea.{{cite web

| url = http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2005/07/22/stories/2005072202270100.htm

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070105012805/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2005/07/22/stories/2005072202270100.htm

| url-status = usurped

| archive-date = 5 January 2007

| title = I want to play lead roles

| first = Sreedhar

| last = Pillai

| date = 22 July 2005

| work = The Hindu

}}{{cite web

| url = http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/73661/

| title = Never Say Never Again

| date = 3 July 2005

| work = The Indian Express

}}{{cite web

| url = http://sify.com/movies/malayalam/interview.php?id=13934763&cid=2406

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050922125544/http://sify.com/movies/malayalam/interview.php?id=13934763&cid=2406

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = 2005-09-22

| title="Investigation stories are universal" : Mammootty

| department = Moviebuzz

| website = Sify Movies

}}

Box office

The film was commercial success and became highest grossing Malayalam film of the year 2004 and also collected around ₹10 crore from the box office. The film ran around 200 days in theatres.{{cite web|url=https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/news/2016/mammootty-10-movies-which-completed-200-days-at-the-theatres-247132.html|author=Akhila Menon|title=10 Mammootty Movies Which Completed 200 Days at the Theatres|work=Filmibeat|date=15 November 2016}}