Christopher (film)

During a communal riot in Kerala, a young Christopher witnesses the brutal rape and murder of his sister and parents. He attempts to kill the perpetrators with a butcher’s knife but is intercepted by SP Vetrivel. After learning of the tragedy, Vetrivel executes the culprits in an extrajudicial encounter, inspiring Christopher to join the police force. Under Vetrivel’s mentorship, Christopher clears the civil service exam and is posted as an ASP in Madhya Pradesh. There, he gains notoriety as an encounter specialist after dismantling a feudal network responsible for killing women. Assisted by his right-hand man, SI Mohammed Ismail, Christopher eventually returns to Kerala as an SP.

Following a successful mission against a robbery-murder syndicate in a forested area, Ismail is killed. Christopher adopts Ismail's daughter, Amina, and later marries Beena, the Pondicherry DC. Their domestic life unravels when Christopher discovers that Beena’s drug-addict brother, Sebastian, has brutally murdered a girl and hidden her remains in a ceramic factory. Though Beena and her father, MP Chackochan, attempt to cover up the crime with the help of SP Abhilash, Christopher arrests Sebastian. When Sebastian attempts to escape custody during a court hearing, Christopher kills him, leading to his separation from Beena.

Years later, Christopher is an ADGP working under CM Rajashekhara Menon. After he executes four men for a brutal assault, ACP Sulekha is tasked with investigating his past encounter killings. Simultaneously, Amina, now a lawyer, uncovers evidence that business magnate Sitaram Trimurthi murdered his wife and father-in-law to hide a drug trafficking ring. Sitaram retaliates by having Amina murdered. Devastated, Christopher launches an unofficial investigation, discovering that Sitaram has compromised the official police team through the sociopathic DYSP George Kottarakkan.

Christopher tracks down the hitman, Marimuthu, and forces a confession that implicates Sitaram. Despite Sulekha’s initial skepticism, she eventually supports Christopher after realizing the legal system's failure to provide swift justice. Christopher executes Marimuthu and Kottarakkan, but Sitaram manages to murder Beena via carbon monoxide poisoning from his prison cell. With the covert assistance of Warden SP Shaji (Ismail’s brother), Christopher enters the prison and kills Sitaram, framing the act as self-defense. Cleared of all charges and backed by the Chief Minister, Christopher adopts a young victim’s sister, naming her Amina, and resumes his duty.

Principal photography began on 10 July 2022 with a pooja function. On 18 July 2022, Mammootty joined the sets of the film.^[8] The film is shot in many places across Kerala including Ernakulam, Pooyamkutty and Vandiperiyar. Vinay Rai was cast in to play the antagonist in the film, marking his debut in Malayalam cinema.^[9][5] Filming took 79 days and was completed on 29 September 2022. Mammootty had finished shooting his portions, in a span of 65 days, a week before filming ended.^[10] In post-production stage, the film was sent to the Central Board of Film Certification and was censored with a U/A certificate on 31 January 2023.^[11]

Christopher was released in theatres on 9 February 2023.^[12]