Kannur Squad 2023: Release date, trailer, plot, cast, real-life events, OTT partner and more

There’s probably no other actor in Malayalam who has given as many superhits as Mammootty, while playing a police officer. It’s also a testament to the actor’s skill that he has been able to differentiate each of his roles as cop in his stellar career. Director Roby Varghese Raj’s upcoming crime drama Kannur Squad , which is based on true events, will look to build upon this reputation while also making a bid to extend the actor’s success story post pandemic.

The movie, which is also produced by Mammootty, is scripted by Muhammed Shafi and actor Rony David Raj. Shot in Kerala and Maharashtra, Kannur Squad promises a gripping crime-drama that is sure to have fans hooked through its storytelling, cinematography, music and performances. Here’s all we know about the movie and why it’s a must-watch.

Release date

The initial release date planned for Kannur Squad was October 5. However, with Prabhas and Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire being postponed, Kannur Squad’s release date was advanced by a week by its producers Mammootty Kampany. Kannur Squad, which had cleared CBFC with a U/A rating, will release worldwide in theatres on September 28.

A gripping trailer

Though the makers had released a few glimpses from the film in the form of posters in the past few months, the first trailer of the movie was released on social media in early September and it made for some gripping experience, especially with Sushin Shyam’s background score to boot.

The trailer also showcased that the movie is a thriller crime-drama that revolves around a team of police officers as they take on a challenging assignment of catching elusive criminals that take them on a whirlwind chase across the country.

Kannur Squad’s plot similar to Kuttavum Shikshayum?

After the trailer dropped online, the netizens had expressed that the plot seemed similar to Asif Ali’s crime-drama Kuttavum Shikshayum , which also revolved around a group of police officers from Kerala travelling to Rajasthan to catch criminals and the hurdles they have to face while outside their comfort zones.

During a recent interview, the cast and writers of Kannur Squad said that unlike Kuttavum Shikshayum, the film doesn’t have a slow-burn nature or a documentary-style making to it. In fact, Kannur Squad has enough thrills to keep the audiences at the edge of their seats, said Mammootty.

The film revolves around four police officers – George, Jose, Jayan and Shafi – who are part of the Kannur Squad in the film. After Kannur superintendent of police assigns them a case outside their jurisdiction, assistant sub inspector George Martin and his team have to face several professional uncertainties in a quest to nab the criminals.

Kannur Squad’s ensemble cast

Mammootty essays the role of assistant sub inspector George Martin in the movie, which has Rony David Raj as Jayan, Azeez Nedumangad as Jose and Shabareesh Varma as Shafi – the core members of the Kannur Squad. Vijayaraghavan essays the role of Kannur SP, which is inspired by police officer S Sreejith. The film also has Sreekumar, Sunny Wayne, Sarath Sabha and Kannada star Kishore as part of its cast.

Real-life inspiration of Kannur Squad

The film’s writers Rony and Muhammed Shafi had stated that the idea of this film was inspired by the real Kannur Squad, which was formed by former Kannur SP S Sreejith in the late 2000s. The writers had first tried to contact the police officers in 2018 and eventually succeeded after they recognised Rony as an actor.

Further conversations with them revealed the various cases they had investigated and the writers chose one such case that hooked them. While the original Kannur Squad had nine members, the film also focuses on four.

Kannur Squad OTT partner

There’s no official confirmation on which platform has bought the OTT and satellite rights of the Mammootty-starrer. However, latest reports suggest that Disney+ Hotstar is likely to bag the OTT rights for the film with Asianet being the front-runner to clinch its TV rights.