Thalappavu (literal meaning: turban or headgear, which is a symbol of power, status and protection) is a 2008 Malayalam language period thriller film based on the events related to Naxal Varghese and Police Constable P. Ramachandran Nair, directed by Madhupal and written by Babu Janardhanan. The film sympathetically portrays the social and political issues of the Naxalite era of the 1970s in Kerala. The film's cast includes Prithviraj, Lal, Atul Kulkarni, Rohini, and Dhanya Mary Varghese. Produced by actor Mohan under the Civic Cinema banner and distributed by Lal's Lal Release, Thalappavu marks actor-cum-writer Madhupal’s directorial debut.