The King

The King is a 1995 Indian Malayalam-language political action thriller film written by Renji Panicker and directed by Shaji Kailas, with Mammootty in the lead role as district collector Joseph Alex IAS. The film was released on 23 October 1995, coinciding with Diwali, where it was declared one of the highest grossing Malayalam film of all time. Plot The city of Kozhikode has been victimized by a massive communal riot against the slums, costing the lives of 12 civilians. Before the riot happened, a wildlife photographer named Madhu Kumar witnessed a group of criminals transporting explosives through the local forest check post, so he calls up the local police commissioner Shankar and passes on the information. However, the goons managed to capture and murder Madhu to cover their tracks. While helping the police to fight against the rioters, the aggressive yet honorable DC Thevalliparambil Joseph Alex is suspicious of Shankar's activities and personally investigates the case with the help from his subordinates ASP Prasad and AC Anura Mukherji, who admires Joseph for his honesty and aggressive behaviour against corrupt officials and politicians. Joseph is brought over to a personal hearing with the state minister John Varghese, who berates him over his behavior while attempting to stop the riots. However, Joseph stands up by reprimanding Varghese for his belief in using his authority to belittle and harass others.