Well I wish I could rate this a little higher but these are the ratings.
The pacing was a bit uneven. While the overall flow wasn’t bad, certain scenes got a little too much time, detracting from the central narrative. A significant chunk of the film is spent on the protagonist’s romantic life and his struggle to find meaningful work, plot points that ultimately have little to no bearing on the main story once it kicks in. Similarly, scenes depicting hazing within the police force and elaborate chase sequences seemed more like filler than substance, adding to the runtime without enriching the plot. All of this felt like a missed opportunity to explore the far more compelling theme at the heart of the film: the violation of Adivasi rights.
On a positive note, the character development, particularly of Varghese, played by Tovino Thomas, was done quite well. Tovino convincingly portrays an oppressive (dirt-bag) police officer who gradually transforms after realizing he is just as vulnerable to injustice as those he once oppressed. Some scenes are genuinely powerful in highlighting how dehumanizing and prejudiced his views of the Adivasis were early on. But there wasn’t enough background laid to show that Varghese, the character played by Tovino was a scummy person initially. So the belligerent nature on display by Tovino in later scenes often stood out and did not seem in character for Varghese.