Vartha (1986)

Embedded with charged emotion and political intrigue, this multi-layered drama delves into the twists and turns that emerge when Madhavan Kutty (Mammootty), a fearless newspaper editor takes on Kerala’s corrupt political establishment in order to vindicate his sweetheart Radha (Seema), the district collector, after she is falsely accused of illegal practices. The culprit responsible for framing Radha is the owner of the Manikyam financial group, who appears to control the state’s entire bureaucratic and political apparatus. Personal rivalries weave into political conflict as Manikyam implicates Radha’s kid brother Unni in a smuggling operation. Eventually, when all legal means fail, Madhavan Kutty, Unni and Vasu (Mohanlal), a reformed gangster formerly in Manikyam’s employ, establish a secret hideout where they assemble the documents that would appear to indict virtually everybody in power of criminal conspiracy. Will the team survive long enough to succeed in their seemingly impossible mission?