This post is about a Malayalam movie called Salute, released in 2022. If you’re thinking, “This fellow has no other work,” you can take a U-turn right now and continue your life peacefully. But if you believe I might say something meaningful, you can keep reading. Because ever since this movie released on OTT, every time I watch it, I end up watching it at least three times over the next few days before moving on to another film. That’s how much something this movie has in it. I started wondering what exactly that something was, and after watching it three times again this time, I’m writing this post. Let’s get into the film.
The very first frame shows Arjun Karunakaran driving on a national highway. From there, the story begins with him asking for old files from a police station where he earlier worked as an SI. One murder case and another case of drunk driving and negligence. At first, it all feels very ordinary, almost insignificant. But slowly, beneath that surface, layers start opening up work pressure, political pressure, negligence of duty, betrayal, lies, ego. All of this is revealed not through loud dialogues, but through body language and reactions of even side characters. Interestingly, the murders themselves are never shown. We’re only made to feel that something terrible happened.The real killer is never caught. Instead, due to our convenience and laziness, an innocent man is framed and sacrificed. That guilt becomes the force that keeps driving Arjun throughout the story. It pushes him into a two-year long leave, running far away, even to North India from that town and that state.
But Arjun has to return. Only then can the story move forward. His niece’s wedding and his affection for her become the entry point. But the real reason is that he can’t face his brother anymore. His brother Ajith’s dominance was the main reason Arjun committed that professional crime in the murder case. If he just wanted to escape, a leave letter from the station would’ve been enough. Why leave the entire state? Because Ajith was the real mastermind behind it all. What we must understand here is not the murder itself, or even the brutality behind it. But the public protests demanding closure, and the political pressure behind them. And all this during election time. If ruling party failed, that's the fears of losing power, status, and control. That basic fear pushes the police to commit an unforgivable act as framing an innocent auto driver as the murderer, without even guilt, in the name of “work ethics.” Arjun too was part of this machinery. But that guilt teaches him something fundamental. Thousands of criminals may escape, but even one innocent person should never be punished. That’s the soul of this story.
Now, the first reason I kept rewatching this film, there’s a man described as fair skinned, between 35 and 40, taller than six feet, with a long stitched scar on his left hand. This. This exact detail. Every time I finished the movie, I’d tell myself, “Okay, one more time, let’s see who they showed.” Second watch, full movie again, hunting for that man from the first frame itself. Sometimes rewinding scenes, sometimes pausing background shots. Always failing. But this time… I think I spotted someone. We’ll talk about that later.
Even more important is the villain of this film. Without doubt, it’s Ajith. A perfectly measured, ready-made character tailored for Manoj K. Jayan. But even more important is the man who actually committed the murders. They never show his face. They didn't told in fact. Just end cards are rolling without conveyed. Then how is he the villain? Fair question. But he is the villain. Because the most dangerous criminals are often the ones who never reveal their face or name. The entire chase, the blindfolded games between him and Arjun, all exist because of him. Another important point, people like that villain guys are made because society trusts superstition more than science. And people like Arjun are made because officials treat negligence as bravery and cleverness, without guilt. That’s what I understood from this film. Beyond that, it’s a brilliant unsolved crime mystery. Everything unfolds only when Arjun discovers it, the audience learns alongside him. The murders aren’t shown. The criminal isn’t shown. And there’s a solid, deliberate reason behind both decisions.
Many movies are enjoyable. But only a few stay with you forever. Salute is one of those films for me.
Now… who is that killer? They show someone. He’s tall. But there’s no scar shown. No clear age frame either. So we could ignore it. But then, why randomly show him entering the police station? Why make Arjun tell him to leave? What was the point of that scene?
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