Category Archives: Comedy

Dheeran

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Vampire Owl: Here is a movie title which translates to being brave.

Vampire Bat: Well, vampires are born brave.

Vampire Owl: You mean that we are reborn as the brave ones.

Vampire Bat: I have not yet seen a vampire who is not brave.

Vampire Owl: I have doubt about the Vampire Mouse.

Vampire Bat: All mouses that bite would not be a Vampire Mouse.

Vampire Owl: Still, he had given an application.

Vampire Bat: And it was rejected in just half an hour.

Vampire Owl: We would need more brave vampires in case there is a war.

Vampire Bat: The pact with werewolves stand strong, and the rest, whether witches or demons do not fight direct wars.

[Gets a paneer puffs and three cups of Bandarawela tea].

What is the movie about? :: Eldhose (Rajesh Madhavan) is someone who had received a bravery medal from the President of India when he was a child, for saving the village’s only welder, Aruvi (Manoj K Jayan) who was drowning in the middle of a river. But after developing a pre-marital relationship with Suramya (Aswathy Manoharan) whose wedding he is blamed to have ruined, both of them are caught during their private moments in the bus which he was driving, right in the middle of the night, while most of the village were busy with the local temple festival. As he tries to escape, it had also led to the Panchayat President Abbas (Jagadish) getting injured. Finding himself in trouble, and with people about to forcibly getting him and Suramya married against her will, he runs away from the village and reaching Erode in Tamil Nadu. There, he becomes the assistant of Abubacker (Vineeth), a Malayali gangster who only trusts him and his long-time henchman Suhail (Arun Cherukavil), as he had made too many enemies, and used a perfume store as front to hide.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Abubacker who keeps being worried about his former friends turning rivals, cannot sleep at night, and sleeps with a gun on his chest. He decides to find some relief by killing Saravanan (Srikrishna Dayal), one of his former henchmen, and assigns Eldhose to do the work, while pretending to be someone looking for work in the fruit factory which served as a front in a land where even the police were frightened to enter. But things do not seem to go well, as there is the news about Eldhose being killed in a fire-related accident in the fruit factory. This leads to a group of people deciding to go to Tamil Nadu to receive his body. Abbas who feels that he would go for the purpose any way, is joined by Aruvi, along with his two uncles Kunjan (Ashokan) and Joppan (Sudheesh) and brother-in-law Dixon (Abhiram Radhakrishnan). Spinesh (Shabareesh Varma), his old friend turned nemesis, also decides to drive the ambulance, leaving their past problems behind. But the question remains about what awaits them after crossing the border.

The defence of Dheeran :: The movie maintains its dark humour and silliness really well, and the situations for humour have been nicely created and maintained. Then there is some classic humour that comes of out of nowhere to create the fun all of a sudden. Then there are the simple and realistic moments that work, as the characters feel close to life as in those feel-good movies. The fine visuals of the villages of Kerala and Tamil Nadu also serve the purpose, as the movie has arranged a suitable cast for the purpose. The background score and music do serve the purpose well. Their use of the devotional song “akkarekk yathra cheyyum” which comes from the speaker nicely fits the situation. The execution of the final moments with a lot of action serves very well in a mixture of action and humour, with the special new year firework effects. The satire is as much present as everything else, and when there is such a veteran cast that can do the job so well, one can be assured of at least a minimum quality.

The claws of flaw :: There is a certain amount of struggle that the movie shows in between, as the narrative keep going back and come right back to the front – the non-linear journey was not really the option for a movie of this genre. The progress of the movie is rather slow, and the silliness often keeps us not interested rather than bring the humour to the front. We also have some dragging of the situation in the middle, and the flashback also feels too long. The overall length is a bit more considering the fact that the content does not have that much to keep the parts strong. The movie also goes on a predictable path with nothing new getting on the screen. The side characters are often lost, without the kind of significance which made other films like Kunjiramayanam and Adi Kapyare Koottamani successful. This one was so close to being a wild adventure ride, but not that much there to be taken. The fact that the movie gets back to Kerala from Tamil Nadu too soon, then everyone travels vice versa, does not help the purpose at all. The female characters also fall short except for some dialogues.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is led by Rajesh Madhavan, whose work has been memorable through Minnal Murali, Nna Thaan Case Kodu and Maranamass which had him making such a fine impact in different ways, but surely adding some fine humour. Jagadish’s work reminds us of what he did in Falimy, a movie which had similar humour running through, and had become a family travel humour sample to look forward to. Ashokan and Sudheesh adds to the humour well, according to the situations. Manoj K Jayan as Aruvi also brings both the funny as well as the emotional side to work. Vineeth as Abubacker also contributes to the fun, and Arun Cherukavil nicely supports him in the world of gangsters with a little too much of fear – the early gangster fun had surely got everyone interested. Shabareesh Varma keeps doing what he has been doing since Premam, really well. Abhiram Radhakrishnan can also be seen as further adding to the humour. Srikrishna Dayal as Saravanan gives the character the right elements of a real gangster, and Sidharth Bharathan remains notable.

How it finishes :: Not to be confused with other movies with the same or similar titles but deals with different topics and genre, Dheeran is that kind of a movie which goes on the lines of simple and silly fun with some dark humour to support it, and the same comes up with memorable moments. With Malayattoor as the setting, there is the feeling of watching something familiar with this one. The world of villagers and later that of gangsters work effectively here, and the funny side does not disappear from this one even when there is a serious scene or flow of emotions. The action comes strong by the end, with the adventure almost reaching that fine ending which also leaves like a feel-good movie, but with even a scope for sequel that could develop these characters in an even better way. Despite the bumps here and there, the movie is surely worth a try, especially as we keep looking for some lighter moments in a world of chaos. A weekend with this movie running on television would surely be the one with the laughs.

Release date: 4th July 2025
Running time: 137 minutes
Directed by: Devadath Shaji
Starring: Rajesh Madhavan, Jagadish, Ashokan, Manoj K Jayan, Sidharth Bharathan, Vineeth, Sudheesh, Shabareesh Varma, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Aswathy Manoharan, Srikrishna Dayal, Arun Cherukavil, Indumathy Manikandan, Vijaya Sadhan

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Pennu Case

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Vampire Owl: I had seen so many vloggers talking about this movie.

Vampire Bat: The movie surely had some extra hype.

Vampire Owl: But it surely did not do that well in the end.

Vampire Bat: I think that it was not really sure about its own genre.

Vampire Owl: More people are talking about it now after the release in OTT.

Vampire Bat: It is Amazon Prime Video, and so there will be more talks.

Vampire Owl: Well, there is always that talking in the moonlight.

Vampire Bat: You know that vampires cannot walk or talk in the sunlight that well.

Vampire Owl: Still, we always talk better than humans.

Vampire Bat: Humans are the kind of people who talk with wars through weapons of mass destruction and unlimited chaos. Ask your best friend, Mr. Frankenstein or just phone Uncle Dracula himself. Even the Vampire Monkey has written an essay about it.

[Gets a paneer tikka and three cups of Sikkim tea].

What is the movie about? :: Rohini (Nikhila Vimal) is finally caught after years of committing a certain serial runaway bride scam, in which she had cheated many men whom she had married and left right after the wedding day with all the money and ornaments. She was not caught by the police, but by a group of men who were cheated into marriage and left behind, led by Thomas (Irshad) who had started a WhatsApp group for those who had suffered insult and loss of money. They made the way into the wedding function of Subhash (Aju Varghese) who had felt that after so many years of waiting for a suitable alliance, he had found the right bride for him, whom he considered to be too beautiful for his standard, and thus a lucky find. Rohini in this avatar and a new name seemed to be the sweet and understanding village girl that he was looking for. But this arrival of the former husbands and the following fight, which was further followed by police intervention had ruined his hopes by a long way.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: But this was never really the end as others like Vijayakumar (Ramesh Pisharody) and others also follow with their tragic story of being married to Rohini, known by Sindhu at that time, at another point by the name Susan and many more on a long list. The case goes to the Circle Inspector of Police, Manoj (Hakim Shahjahan) who is also on the verge of a wedding about to be cancelled, and he becomes determined to solve this case, in which he feels that there are so many others also involved – planning such big weddings all around Kerala would be difficult for just one person. As he had brought disgrace to the police department due to a video which became viral during a protest, this is seen more as a chance rather than anything else. His police station had not seen any big cases being solved, and his fellow workers also join him. But his superior officers do not trust him, and Rohini’s husbands already keep asking about getting their money back. Can he do the job in time or will someone else get all the glory?

The defence of Pennu Case :: The idea is interesting as much as realistic as we have heard about news of similar things happening in this part of the world multiple times, and with the laws favouring the female, the women who cheated men in this way might have found it easy to get away without that much of problems. By showing the same here, humour also comes into the picture with some fake tears helping the woman to keep everyone on her side. The comic side of this movie does not try to do too much, as it goes through a rather smooth pattern instead of being loud and dumb – the simplicity of humour with usual kind of people all around, makes an impact – the choice of cast also working in its favour here. The movie remains light-hearted, never really going to the dark side, which would be even closer to the truth, and lurking around the corner to avoid an emotional drama of terrifying shades coming in. The length works in favour of the movie as this content goes through exactly that much time it required, at less than two hours.

The claws of flaw :: The movie remains quite a slow one, and the flashbacks could not do it any favour as we try to follow it. In the middle, it seems to have been going in a predictable manner, losing some strength in between. The predictable backstory just escapes with that twist in the end, as otherwise it was traveling towards a certain doom. The idea of not giving seriousness to the situation by the end might also feel somewhat strange, as one would still feel that this certain act of crime and evil is considered funny more because the suffering person is male and the criminal is female – the psychological depth and impact as well as emotional consequences are not really there to be taken due to the world staying surface level, even though it would not be the case in real life as far as victims who go through these are concerned. One would also feel that some characters were given the evil image a little too much, and that the red herring had gone too much beyond control. The investigation could have also been engaging rather than just seemingly following the procedure because there is not other job.

The performers of the soul :: Nikhila Vimal keeps the movie together as the main character who is right there in the middle, working through different roles that the character plays within the movie, with all the varieties. Her character should have seen with the shades better rather than showing so much less outside her own narrative. Hakim Shahjahan’s police officer remains a strong presence throughout the movie, as he is the one determined character that we also support, and even after that twist, his character would have something to offer if there is a sequel made in a better way. Meanwhile, Aju Varghese is there creating a silent impact throughout the film while Irshad was the one who made the final initial impact. Ramesh Pisharody also scores when he is there, even though for a shorter time period. The popular content creators whom we see around social media platform, Jayakrishnan Sreekumar and Sreekanth Vettiyar can also be noted from here, and we see that they are so good in their work in the movies, despite the small roles. P P Kunhikrishnan, Shivajith and Praveen Raja also scores. Anarkali Nazar should have had a bigger role though.

How it finishes :: The movie had created quite an impact online even before its release as the vloggers had it covered well. The serial marriage scammer bride has been part of news for quite some time and had taken rounds in the social media, which makes the whole thing feel more real than ever. It takes some skill to weave a divergent story out of it instead of going through a drama – the twist makes sure that everything comes together and some of the problems in between are solved well. The humour exists smoothly right behind without affecting the story which thrives on flashback narratives getting connecting to the original timeline. The social satire is also present with those small, enjoyable moments and situational humor coming out of nowhere. The movie has taken the necessary steps to keep its world working and get to that twist, without which the tale would have been relatively weak, and the predictability is thus removed. It could have surely been better, but it works well as a humour-twist divergence as of now.

Release date: 10 January 2026
Running time: 112 minutes
Directed by: Febin Sidharth
Starring: Nikhila Vimal, Hakim Shahjahan, Aju Varghese, Ramesh Pisharody, Irshad, P P Kunhikrishnan, Hari Pathanapuram, Praveen Raja, Shivajith, Sreerekha Rajagopal, Aami Thasnim, Sandhya Manoj, Ranji Kankol, Shukkoor, Abin Bino, Anarkali Nazar, Danesh Koliyatt, Jayakrishnan Sreekumar, Sreekanth Vettiyar

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<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of last year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Oru Jaathi Jaathakam

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Vampire Owl: We had missed this movie despite the comic side.

Vampire Bat: We were afraid that this would be overdone, and we were also too busy for this kind of a movie.

Vampire Owl: I am still seeing signs of things being overdone.

Vampire Bat: Well, we do watch dumb comedies too.

Vampire Owl: I hope for the best with this one due to a nice cast.

Vampire Bat: The cast can twist our ideas rather too much.

Vampire Owl: The multi-starrers would still get a minimum.

Vampire Bat: Well, not the case of multi-performers.

Vampire Owl: I have never liked the idea of people calling themselves stars.

Vampire Bat: They wish to be called stars instead of actors or actresses, but being a star is not really a reflection of acting skills.

[Gets a chicken dosa and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jayesh (Vineeth Sreenivasan) is a man who has closed in on his forties, and has been looking for a suitable bride for quite a long time. When a girl named Sinitha (Nikhila Vimal), who is an expert in palmistry looks at his hand and tells him that this will be the worst time of his life, it makes him wonder, but the attempts at getting married, and the resulting failure makes him wonder if she was right all along. Sinitha had also precited that he will be ridiculed by many in his life and that that the real problem for him is within. He cannot help being careful about it, and at the same time, the family is really worried about him not getting married. His father Raghavan (P. P. Kunhikrishnan) is further worried as his son is supposed to get married before he gets to his seventy, or according to predictions, something bad would happen to him, most probably even death. Jayesh hopes that a leading matrimonial website can help him, and keeps calling the assigned agent Baby (Sayanora Philip) all the time, with unusual expectations while keeping himself a very traditional man who accept no deviation from his beliefs and ideas.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is seen that he has been looking for an alliance for such a long time with so many faces going through, that he ends up visiting the same girl twice. His colleague Suchithra (Haritha Parokod) advices him not to be very vocal about his views which sounds outdated, and this brings him in a fight with Thathrikutty (Isha Talwar), a writer who is also not ready to move an inch from her highly biased views. It is then that his wedding is almost fixed to Gopika (Aishwarya Midhun), a girl who seems to match all of his expectations. But the twist occurs when she tells him that after traveling with her best friend Krishna (Shaun Romy) and after sharing room with her during the trip, she had explored her romantic and sexual desires through experiences together and is now a lesbian – that both of them are in love. But confused people feel that he is the one who is homosexual, after videos of him kissing a man after getting drunk goes viral. This further dampens his situation among people looking for an alliance. A depressed Jayesh goes back to his workplace in Chennai and finds that a few more people have taken rooms in his big flat which is already shared.

And what more can happen here as confusions continue to come in? :: One of the new inmates is Merin (Chippy Devassy), who advices him against taking all these things seriously, and it makes him wonder about the whole situation when he has tried to remain prude, but nothing really worked out in his favour. He also becomes friends with Payal (Kayadu Lohar), a North Indian girl in the next flat, as he has two women friends outside his extended family for the first time in his life. Meanwhile, his boss Babu (Babu Antony) provides him with the card of Pallavi (Indu Thampi) who has been a successful match-maker despite being divorced at an early age. He continues to see many girls, but finds out that none of them comes to a suitable acceptance. Finally, his marriage is fixed with traditional girl whom the family finds for him, Meghna (Varsha Ramesh), but the question remains if at least this one will really happen, as there have been so many similar situations which never really materialized. He even had random people like Gopalakrishnan (Vidhu Prathap) in his dreams who stop his wedding; can this time be a welcome change to his life?

The defence of Oru Jaathi Jaathakam :: The movie is pretty much funny and entertaining, especially in the form of a light-hearted time-pass movie which intentionally creates laughable situations and comic dialogues. Going for the same without high expectations just to relax for about two hours would make this the right choice, and Amazon Prime Video has very less such movies added in there in the last one or two years, this being one of them. Vineeth Sreenivasan is indeed good in his exaggerated, and at the same time uninhibited comic acting. His work with regional dialect is also favourable. The complicated modern arranged-marriage struggles and the anxieties of a late-30s protagonist remain quite reflective. Among the long female cast, it is Chippy Devassy who scores the most and it is one lovely character nicely brought to life – we would hope to see more of her in the Malayalam movie industry. The next one we note is Indu Thampi, and Kayadu Lohar is right behind. Varsha Ramesh, Haritha Parokod, Aishwarya Midhun and Shaun Romy also leave quick mark here. Babu Antony has a smooth stay in this one too.

The claws of flaw :: The movie often makes us feel that it was made in a hurry, and even dialogues feel like they were quickly created to match the situations which were indeed brought to the front to create the laughter, and sometimes, it feels like forced out of nowhere. They have also restricted the role of Nikhila Vimal and Isha Talwar despite having scope, which is disappointing, as most hope was surely around there; and Sayanora Philip is left without impact coming in through phone calls which even feel unnecessary with the regular progress happening without the same. One has to wonder if some of the cast were just included to increase the list of much known actresses in the industry. Some of the humour can be considered old-fashioned, regressive or insensitive, and not working for the age. In between, we wonder where the story is progressing, as it does pause in the middle of nowhere, and struggles are also visible. There are many repetitions which keep us wondering if the movie will finally reach a conclusion, or whether things will just keep happening.

How it finishes :: Oru Jaathi Jaathakam makes its point in simple and often silly fun on Amazon Prime Video. Surprisingly, this release was not given that much of a space in the news about OTT releases, and that might have kept the flick less watched. We have enjoyed movies like Maranamass, Enkilum Chandrike, Falimy, Sahasam, Adi Kapyare Koottamani and Kunjiramayanam a lot without thinking too much – this one is surely not that much fun in comparison, but you can see that this one also serves the purpose enough. Even with too many lady characters played by notable actresses and also lesser-known ones, and despite having a few moments which feel ridiculous or regressive, the movie goes on to its end in an entertaining manner, leaving the repetitions behind. If you are having a fine weekend with nothing much to do, watching this movie is something that you would prefer, especially when not looking that much for anything innovative, special or with the demand for using that much of a brain. Well, you cannot keep asking for the intellectual side all the time.

Release date: 31st January 2025
Running time: 124 minutes
Directed by: M. Mohanan
Starring: Vineeth Sreenivasan, Nikhila Vimal, Babu Antony, Kayadu Lohar, Indu Thampi, Chippy Devassy, P. P. Kunhikrishnan, Amal Thaha, Isha Talwar, Pooja Mohanraj, Sayanora Philip, Mridul Nair, Aishwarya Midhun Koroth, Shaun Romy, Ranji Kankol, Rejitha Madhu, Varsha Ramesh, Arvind Reghu, Sharoon Lakshman, Sivadas Kannur, Sarath Sabha, Haritha Parokod, Nirmal Palazhi

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of last year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

ED

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Vampire Owl: Are we going to see Enforcement Directorate here too?

Vampire Bat: No, not for us who deals with blood.

Vampire Owl: So, this move is not about them?

Vampire Bat: No, this seems to mean extra decent.

Vampire Owl: It could also be extremely dangerous.

Vampire Bat: Nobody is more dangerous than a vampire at the darkest of nights.

Vampire Owl: I have heard werewolves saying the same on full moon nights.

Vampire Bat: The moon is no long visible in our realm.

Vampire Owl: There is the device invented by Dr. Frankenstein which can bring it forward.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein knows nothing about moon or even Earth.

[Gets a marble cake and three cups of Kodaikanal tea].

What is the movie about? :: Binu Das (Suraj Venjaramoodu) is a young man who takes care of his father’s shop and is liked by everyone due to his pleasant appearance, willingness to help and joyful nature. He is someone who is considered extra decent by everyone in the apartment, and his opinion is highly valued. But after being attacked by a security guard, he ends up in coma at the nearby hospital. On waking up, he cannot remember anything and is soon diagnosed as having retrograded amnesia, not able to remember anything in his immediate past. He tries to pick up the pieces, but people feel like strangers to him – he keeps a diary so that he can study the reality that surrounds his blank slate of a mind. Police Inspector Shibu (Alexander Prasanth) feels that there is something about this particular case as the old security guard claims that he attacked Binu just because he wished to go to prison as nobody was there to look after him, but after questioning the family, nothing strange could be discovered.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The family consisting of his father Manoj Das (Sudheer Karamana), mother Lakshmi Das (Vinaya Prasad), sister Nishima Das (Grace Antony) and brother-in-law Sanju (Shyam Mohan) are in the hospital, but are seen with a strange feeling, and leaves the place. Neelima (Dilna Ramakrishnan) from the neighbourhood who is determined to marry him takes care of him while the family meets Dr. Ajmal Khan (Rafi) who lives in the next flat instead of going to Dr. Rupesh (Sajin Cherukayil) who has been trying hard to bring the memories of Binu back to normal and make him the same as he used to be. The family tells Ajmal that Binu should not get his memory back as he used to be a psychotic person. He used to trouble the family so much that they wished that he was dead. This surprises Ajmal who always considered him to be a sweet person. Now it is to be seen if his memories come back and if would become a big terror or a good man – it is also to be seen what they family will do.

The defence of ED: Extra Decent :: This is one movie that intends to go divergent with its idea. The use of black humour is to be appreciated, and the ability of the movie to remain serious and funny at the same time is to be appreciated – yet, we have that entertaining mood here. With Suraj Venjaramood at the helm, there is no surprise about how well the movie gets elevated. There has always been promise for a lot, and some of it has been delivered. This is that kind of a movie which takes the psycho-mode to a different stage, and adds humour to keep it more interesting. The traumatic past which keeps creeping in and the sudden change of situation with the twist keeps the whole thing interesting – there is more than one twist to go. The contrast of seriousness and humour works quite well for most of the time. This is at a time when having psychos point to serial killers like in Forensic, Anjaam Pathiraa and others, but this time it gets funny like in the case of Maranamass which took the serial killer mode with happiness.

The claws of flaw :: The movie had a lot of scope, but does not hold on to all of them. It repels the scope to go to chaos comedy like Sahasam, Adi Kapyare Kootamani or Kunjiramayanam, but some of it could have added to the overall humour. The movie’s ups and downs do not help the totality, and sometimes it does stretch a little too much, and the scenes feels like repetition at times. The story could have had funny elements added here and there to make it more interesting rather than stretching itself. Some of the characters seem to be there for the sake of being there, and the ending surely does struggle. The ending needed to be more satisfactory, even though the focus seems to be in bringing a sequel into play if there is some scope for it. There is that potential which we feel as the movie gets close to the end, but not sure that it was utilized. So many opportunities were there for the movie to diverge, but it chooses the easiest one, which might be safe, but not having that much of an impact.

The performers of the soul :: Suraj Venjaramoodu’s brilliance has a firm hold of this movie, and due to the same, we feel this movie to be more than just a random movie with comedy – the dark humour just gets to another level with his performance. He has those multiple levels of transformations which keeps us interested. His entry into madness and beyond becomes surprise classic dark humour. Sudheer Karamana and Vinayaprasad shines as the tensed parents, while Grace Antony has a memorable stay as the sister, and Premalu star Shyam Mohan’s brother-in-law also has his moments. Vineeth Thattil David and Rafi add to fun nicely as support. Dilna Ramakrishnan makes a notable appearance here, and we hope to see her around in bigger roles in the industry. Sajin Cherukayil also makes an impact in appearance that happens at times, while Alexander Prasanth though with a smaller appearance has some of the funniest moments in the film that happens very early and sets up the mood.

How it finishes :: The movie does remind us of movies like Tholvi F C and Falimy with one dysfunctional family and a main character who has more problems than ever. With family relationships and status in the society being twists, the central idea remains the same, even though the divergence is more with this one. The ending was still going to need more, and the same is not served here. That extra dose is not here to be taken, but this movie remains such an enjoyable flick, especially with the lead and support going so strong. This is the kind of movie that will always have something in it for a future watch too, as some moments will return on television with those comedy sequences. As this one is on Amazon Prime Video, many people might have already watched this one, even though some might have still missed the flick due to people not knowing that much about the release. The hype was just not there even when it released and had faced tough competition. We can only hope that it will gain more from the OTT.

Release date: 20th December 2024
Running time: 124 minutes
Directed by: Aamir Pallikkal
Starring: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Grace Antony, Shyam Mohan, Sudheer Karamana, Vinaya Prasad, Rafi, Vineeth Thattil David, Alexander Prasanth, Sajin Cherukayil, Shaju Sreedhar, Saji Venjaramoodu, Rakesh Ushar, Dilna Ramakrishnan, Suryakiran, Priya Sreejith, Sincy Anil

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Hello Mummy

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Vampire Owl: I am sure that this movie has a vampire mummy.

Vampire Bat: We are dealing with real ghosts around here.

Vampire Owl: Mummies are animated corpses, right? Not ghosts.

Vampire Bat: I do not think that this is that kind of a mummy.

Vampire Owl: Because the character is not Egyptian?

Vampire Bat: They are referring to the mother-in-law of main character.

Vampire Owl: But this is still horror, so other mummies could also be around.

Vampire Bat: What can a mummy do to reach South India from Egypt?

Vampire Owl: I do not know. Maybe, take a flight?

Vampire Bat: Even Count Dracula is known to have taken only a ship.

[Gets a chilly chicken puffs and three cups of mixed tea].

What is the movie about? :: Boney (Sharafudheen) who has been running a pet shop – one of the biggest in the city, and trying to evade marriage for quite a long time, much to the dismay of his father Philip (Johny Antony), mother Soyamma (Ganga Meera) and sister Tincy (Sruthy Suresh). But when he goes through the usual process of seeing and rejecting girls, he comes across Stephy (Aishwarya Lekshmi), whom he really likes and decides not reject her. But Stephy comes with a condition that he should move to her house after wedding, and even though Boney’s parents show some hesitation, everyone is just happy that he is finally going to be married. But one day, she stops responding to him, and when he asks, she tells him that her dead mother still talks to her and that she does not approve of her marriage with him. She says that it is the best for the future of both of them that they do not proceed to the wedding ceremony. But Boney feels that she is just making things up to avoid him, and tells her that he believes her – and that he is ready to adjust in whatever ways possible.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: This impresses Stephy and they go on with the process. But on the first day itself, Boney realizes that she was not joking or making an excuse, and his father-in-law Samuel (Jagadish) asserts the same. The ghost mummy begins attacking him whenever he does something that she does not like. Stephy reveals that the mummy has prevented any physical union between them for now, and there some strange rules which he has to obey – this includes not wearing chappals inside the house, keeping the refrigerator open for more than ten seconds, dropping any food particle on the floor and a few more. Boss (Aju Varghese) who is running an investigative channel from the neighbouring house feels that there is something wrong, and tries to find a solution, while Boney’s best friend Bichu (Joemon Jyothir) tries to help only to find him at the receiving end of the mummy’s fury. Boney and Stephy tries to twist the situation by telling the mummy that they are going to be parents. But how can they sneak away from the powerful spirit which keeps the watch all the time?

The defence of Hello Mummy :: Here is one merging of horror and comedy that works well on the lines of Bollywood movies like Stree and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, but this is not a genre that has been working too well in this particular industry. In comparison, black comedy has had more success, like in the case of the recent work, Maranamass. There are moments that would be remembered, along with some dialogues which can stay for quite a long time. There seems to be a lot of energy in various parts of the movie, and that keeps the level of the movie high. This is also one horror movie that one can watch with family without too much of terror and no unsuitable comedy to go with it. The performances from the leading cast remains the highlight of the movie along with the fine support with the veteran actors around. The way in which the movie makes the fantasy tale blend into a world which was normal, makes it a world of magic realism in one way or the other. Cinematography and background score adds well to the whole thing.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s focus on horror is rather less on comparison to the side of comedy which rises much above the other. The blending is rather one-sided when we look closely, and there is not much of an explanation of the supernatural elements. There is also a lot of predictability associated with the movie, even though most people might have expected the same. The lack of hype might have left many people without having watched the movie – if focused on the strengths, this would have become more popular from the day of release itself. There is a certain amount of silliness that can be seen around, and the lack of seriousness means some loss of the overall quality of the movie. The cliches are surely there, and the tale could have kept a stronger centre. Some of the emotional moments could have been avoided to make the movie shorter, as there is not that much of focus on the story, as situations are above everything else. The lack of consistency can be seen here in relation to the content, and horror also falls flat at times.

The performers of the soul :: Sharafudheen shines in the humorous role which seems to suit him so well, even though there is a subtle emotional side that runs through here. There are some fine one-liners which are there to stay, and some of these moments can be seen in the television in parts regularly. The movie also has Aishwarya Lekshmi who continues to prove that there are not many actresses who can match her grace and variety of performances in this generation. From a grand beginning with movies like Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, Mayaanadhi, Varathan, Vijay Superum Pournamiyum and Brother’s Day with range from romance and feel-good to drama and thriller mode, she has come a long way, and deserves even more. She is in full strength here in a role which does not challenge her, but she assures that things are now better. We just need to remember how good Kaanekkaane was, to be reminded of her capabilities. The group of Jagadish, Johny Antony, Aju Varghese and Joemon Jyothir adds to the fun, while Bindu Panicker’s role is something that we will remember for a long time. Sunny Hinduja makes a fine villain at the same time.

How it finishes :: We know that good horror comedy is really hard to create, especially to make both sides work. This movie aligns more on the side of comedy, but there is always that hidden horror which comes out at rarely, but by the end of the movie, we see the blending of the two genres becoming one effectively. There is no lack of enjoyment at any part of the movie, as we see the situations, and feel the entertainment. There are not many movies that make us think too much about the situations, and we can focus on enjoying the whole thing without second thoughts. There is the scope left for a sequel, and we can expect this to get better. After all, there are so many questions to be answered from the first movie, and there might be a little too much to be done for what could be a series of movies. We can always accept the movies with a certain amount of silliness that worked so well, like Adi Kapyare Koottamani and Kunjiramayanam that keeps us laughing for a very long time.

Release date: 21st November 2024
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: Vaishakh Elans
Starring: Sharafudheen, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sunny Hinduja, Jagadish, Johny Antony, Aju Varghese, Joemon Jyothir, Bindu Panicker, Arun Cherukavil, Ganga Meera, Sruthy Suresh, Adhri Joe

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Maine Pyar Kiya

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Vampire Owl: I have heard this title before.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that everyone in India knows this title.

Vampire Owl: So, an original title was unavailable.

Vampire Bat: This is only meant to make things feel interesting.

Vampire Owl: Well, the Malayalam translated title would not be interesting.

Vampire Bat: I could still suggest a few names.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that Dr. Frankenstein could give some better names.

Vampire Bat: I am more certain that Mr. Frankenstein has names only for himself.

Vampire Owl: It is obvious. He is a hero of different worlds.

Vampire Bat: There is no world that would take this particular pseudo-scientist with a smile.

[Gets a paneer masala dosa and three cups of orange tea].

What is the movie about? :: Aryan (Hridhu Haroon) is a college dropout who had to leave his studies early as he created that kind of a fight in the college with his seniors, which would be remembered in a bad light for very long. The college is also not ready to give him his school certificates before he pays for the damages he caused in the college, which is as high as three lakhs. During one of his visits to college to get the certificates, he comes across Nidhi (Preity Mukhundhan), a young woman from Madurai who studies in Kerala as her mother is working in the railways and had got transferred there. With the advice of his elder friends Nixon (Askar Ali) and Tony (Sreekanth Vettiyar), he tries to make her fall in love with him. But Nidhi does not have any feelings for him, and due to her strict her parents, she tries to keep everyone away from her and focus only on her studies. Aryan continues to stalk her, even though she pleads with him to leave her alone. He even comes to her house, leading to him getting beaten up.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: She finally agrees to just talk to him, and after having food together outside campus on a day of strike, her parents get to know that she, along with many students went out of the campus during the strike and skipped the classes. Nidhi is desperate to make sure that her mother does not know, and hearing about the situation, Aryan arranges for someone who call her home and say that everything is okay, and she was in the college. But as her mother comes to know about it from the college itself and comes to the campus, she realizes that there are stories about her and Aryan being spread. Desperate to escape the situation and the wrath of the parents, she gets into Aryan’s car. They drive away, but the story only gets worse, as a kidnap case is filed against Aryan. The police start searching for them, and they keep going further. But the question remains if Nidhi will ever really fall in love with Aryan. There is also the question of what the two families think about this.

The defence of Maine Pyar Kiya :: The movie seems like it is elevating itself on multiple occasions, especially after the fake call made to the home of leading actress. We will feel that there will twist which will follow, and we go through some relevant moments after that. The movie remains at a higher level until the team of friends get attacked by goons, and there is a good run in between, as we have moments of family, friendship and understanding between people, making the whole thing a pretty well-crafted drama that works. When a movie seems to exist more as multiple identities in one, as signified in the initial moments itself, one would expect such ups and downs. The humour works in here, when there is no stalking involved – those moments are not funny or even romantic like some people might feel. The overall quality is surely felt with what is shown on the screen, and the visuals contribute to the positives. Even though the action is out of place, it is also done well. The ending is justified, and we know that a true romantic movie is never about the lovers uniting, but about them finding happiness in life maybe without each other.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s cluelessness after the middle part gets over and also the complication by the end is what gives us the struggle too. Despite starting as one thing and by the end of first half, slowly turning into something else keeps us wonder what exactly are we watching. Then there is that showoff with the good romantic boy going for stalking the girl whom he thinks is good-looking and she is also the one who should tell him that she loves him. This understanding of him is mainly because he knows a lot of filmy dialogues and also because he did not tell a girl that he loved her in school which led to she getting into another relationship. Then there are so may goons who confuse the hero and his friends for somebody else when they are in Madurai and starts beating them up and vice versa? This is indeed a strange parallel universe which is not even good enough to bring the chaos comedy in action. The stalking and the random fights between random gangs just bring nothing around here at all, as we feel that just the subplot and some confused souls would have made the movie shorter and sharper, keeping the main thing relevant. This was not really that difficult to do, with two worlds in two states established easily enough.

The performers of the soul :: Hridhu Haroon feels nicely suited for the role, and seems to do his job well, even though the tale does not allow him to beyond certain limitations – this is that kind of a character, a stalker and disturbance who claims to be in love and wishes to be romantic. If we still like the character, it is just because of his portrayal and body language. Preity Mukhundhan’s entry into Malayalam cinema is a good one, and there is no doubt about that one. Her characterization is very good, and her transformation is also effective, even outside the movie’s limits. Among the friend characters, it is Askar Ali who is the most noticeable. Arjun Sundharesan, Midhutty and Sreekanth Vettiyar remains effective among the friends too. Jeo Baby as the father figure might be one of the best father-figures of the year. Antony Varghese’s cameo was totally unnecessary, and that character is of absolutely no relevance. The reason for his cameo character existing will make even Sisyphus wonder like never before in his life. The friendship side of performance work nicely in favour of the movie.

How it finishes :: Maine Pyar Kiya could have been so many things, but it only ends up becoming a small part of itself, achieving only a little, deviating multiple times, and seemingly coming back, and often confused about its own identity. But it does have its moments, and even when we feel that it is done, the movie survives, and feels like the grandmother of comebacks. The movie does not go into that abyss of eternal chaos as some reviews seem to suggest, for it is like an Assault mode map of Unreal Tournament 99 Game of the Year Edition, for it is never done, as you struggle to complete one objective, then you easily go through the next, then finish the game in style when you feel that it as all going to end badly – maybe saved by that teammate who did not do much in the earlier part of the movie. Well, you know that this one is now available on Amazon Prime Video, and most of us have opted for the Prime option due to the need for buying so many things from the online marketplace – so, watching this one on a free day will not hurt, as there is some fun, and the youngsters around here are indeed good and deserves some attention.

Release date: 29th August 2025
Running time: 147 minutes
Directed by: Faizal Faziludeen
Starring: Hridhu Haroon, Preity Mukhundhan, Askar Ali, Midhutty, Jeo Baby, Arjun Sundharesan, Bibin Perumbillil, Abhimanue Sajeev, Redin Kingsley, Thrikkannan, Mime Gopi, Sai Dheena, Sreekanth Vettiyar, Jagadeesh Janardhan, Jibin Rexa

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Sahasam

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Vampire Owl: I remember watching the song from this movie.

Vampire Bat: Well, that song was a big hit for this Onam.

Vampire Owl: It was more than just a hit indeed, that one earned an entry into hearts.

Vampire Bat: It served Onam like no other song did before.

Vampire Owl: The Onam song was surely like no other.

Vampire Bat: There is surely the feeling of fun with this one.

Vampire Owl: We could have watched this in the theatre instead of Amazon Prime Video.

Vampire Bat: Well, I only knew about the song, not the movie release.

Vampire Owl: Well, that might be the biggest Onam song impact in a long time.

Vampire Bat: With social media at the peak, this was surely going to be.

[Gets a chicken pizza and three cups of Kandy tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jeevan (Ramzan Muhammed) has been in love with Sera (Gouri G Kishan) for a long time, but her family has planned to get her married to Rony (Jeeva Joseph), a wealthy and powerful businessman. On the night of her engagement party, Jeevan comes to visit her with his best friends Pappan (Hari Sivaram) and Sam (Shabareesh Varma) disguised as members of the event management team, only to be discovered by the family members. They almost manage to run away with Sera, only to mess up things at the last moment, and the engagement happens smoothly. At the same time, police informer only known by the name Wolf (Babu Antony) manages to help the government in getting into the notorious Mumbai gangster Victor’s (Yog Japee) hideout and seize his drugs, only to find out that the computer expert Sanjeev (Krishna) has managed to convert Victor’s cash into cryptocurrency. But before he gives the password to Wolf who had planned all of these, he is blackmailed by an unknown figure and he has heart attack and dies, leaving nobody with the password.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Now, Wolf will have to travel to Cochin to find the new head of the IT company where Sanjeev was working, and as the password is in his official laptop, the IT firm might find a way to open it. As Gayathri (Tessa Joseph) takes over as the new head of the firm, the stakes are now higher than ever. Meanwhile, Sera’s relatives send Babeesh (Baiju Santhosh) to deal with Jeevan and make sure that he does not come for his love again, and with him is Preman (Bhagath Manuel) who has seen the face of one of the people who came to the house for Sera. But they feel that Pappan might be Babeesh’s long-lost brother from childhood due to his similarities with an old photo they had, and change the plan to taking him home. Meanwhile, the police inspector Rajeev Nambiar (Narain) is forced to chase both Wolf and Victor to Kochi all the way from Mumbai. But his bigger priorities are taking credit for others’ achievements and always suspecting his wife Isha (Varsha Ramesh). Meanwhile Sam fights with Satheesh (Sajin Cherukayil) for the attention of Priya (Jayasree Sivadaas), and all these come together with unexpected links leading to chaos.

The defence of Sahasam :: Chaos comedy is not the kind of genre which is easy to create an impact, and neither is the use of silliness in the right manner. There might not have been any movie like Adi Kapyare Koottamani and Kunjiramayanam that could achieve the same in last few years, not considering those older classics. This one rather has the situation as more serious, with deaths, gangsters and underworld dealings involved, and the same has been done with the funny side being incredibly active. Just like the other movies of this category, it is the working humour that raises the level of the movie, and the energy adds to the same. The team that the movie has assembled with the veterans and newcomers is really good. The way in which the movie keeps its central romance going with an active emotional side going, and makes everything come together with some classic connections, is worth mentioning, and it seems to be some special skill taking over, as it leaves no loose ends, even for this kind of a movie which is usually allowed to do the same in its genre of confusions and comical complications.

Positives and negatives :: The movie might feel a little bit too long while dealing with this kind of a topic, but as it moves forward further, we just like that length more than anything else – the fun seems to get into us. Yet, some characters might not have been required here, and at times, it also comes up with scenes that feel extra. But it never losses our interest, and it is where this one becomes a classic complicated collection. The songs, especially the Onam mood song had set the mood for the film, and one wonders why it did not become a bigger success at the box-office. The movie’s use of nostalgia comes out of nowhere, like Babu Antony’s old-style moments, Narain talking about four the people and Krishna looking at that much celebrated song of the past with him in it as youth. Even though there are deaths and seriousness is present, we do not feel that kind of a dark tension, and the anxiety that we feel for the characters is rather different. We feel that the movie could even have sequels, and even spin-offs with some of these characters, who stay with us even when not the main characters.

The performers of the soul :: The movie has strong pillars on the two veteran actors Babu Antony and Narain, and this time, they are into humour, and the latter is almost completely into the same – they keep the world interesting with their presence, moments and even nostalgia. Ramzan-Gouri romantic side does work well too, and the music nicely supports the same. Baiju Santhosh, Shabareesh Varma, Hari Sivaram and Bhagath Manuel make a fine combination of humour here, and the silliness associated with their character is very much enjoyable. A surprisingly great addition is that of Varsha Ramesh, who adds to the humour and the overall proceedings really well, and her scenes with Shabareesh and Narain, both brings some classic fun. Return of Tessa Joseph adds another layer of nostalgia here, as she was one actress who was around only with a short career. Sajin Cherukayil also scores with humour while Jayasree Sivadaas adds on. Yog Japee makes a fine villain too. When all of these performers come together in the final moments, it is indeed a lot of fun.

How it finishes :: The movie has some of the best comic moments in the last few years, and there is a certain amount of skill in how this movie uses its moments, and even adds some nostalgia to it. The director’s previous venture Twenty One Grams was also a fine adventure, a serious one then – this time, the journey is on a different path, but it surely works well. This comedy of errors is surely a lot better than most of those so-called comedy works with even bigger stars, and this is the one movie that makes everyone feels good with its humour and those pieces coming together to make us satisfied by the end. The Onam mood itself is clearly felt in the movie, as it is indeed like a celebration to be done in the theatre. Even though not that much known during its release, with its coming to Amazon Prime Video, this will be a much talked about film for days to come. Some movies depend of superstars and hype, but this one clearly focuses on the entertainment quotient with the right cast, and performers who do not keep hailing as superstars – this absence of such overrated cast makes this an even better flick.

Release date: 8th August 2025
Running time: 144 minutes
Directed by: Bibin Krishna
Starring: Narain, Babu Antony, Gouri G Kishan, Varsha Ramesh, Ramzan Muhammed, Jayasree Sivadaas, Baiju Santhosh, Shabareesh Varma, Hari Sivaram, Bhagath Manuel, Yog Japee, Jeeva Joseph, Ann Jameela Salim, Abhimanyu Shammy Tilakan, Sajin Cherukayil, Tessa Joseph, Vineeth Thattil David, Lishoy, Krishna, Jayakrishnan, Major Ravi, Karthik

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Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira

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Vampire Owl: So, the third movie of the Onam Holidays also need to be watched.

Vampire Bat: On another day, this would have been our first choice to watch.

Vampire Owl: Yes, with a team having Fahadh Faasil and Kalyani Priyadarshan.

Vampire Bat: There was so much scope with this overall cast.

Vampire Owl: This should have surely done more in the theatres.

Vampire Bat: Yes, there is some magical feeling here right from the title.

Vampire Owl: That itself is a sign that everyone might not like the movie.

Vampire Bat: Well, you cannot please everybody all the time.

Vampire Owl: But there will be some point when everyone is pleased.

Vampire Bat: Not for vampires; not for an eternity or two.

[Gets a kadai chicken puffs and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Aby Mathew (Fahadh Faasil) is a youngster who has been running a furniture company in Cochin. His brother Siby Mathew (Vinay Forrt) who lives in Bangalore is known only for taking loans and wasting money, while his father Mathew Thalachirayil (Lal) is known to be not normal due to his eccentric behaviour coming out at times. Mathew has been in a state of depression for the last ten years since the death of his wife, but the father and the son share a fine bond, like good friends. Siby rarely comes home unless he needs money from Mathew or Aby. Mathew hopes to reunite with his wife after most of his responsibilities to his children are done, and keeps a rope for suicide by hanging. One day, while at work, Aby meets a girl named Nidhi Sudhish (Kalyani Priyadarshan), and their first meeting is not really a happy one. Nidhi had just gone through a breakup, and even slaps Aby, but a series of events including her demanding a return slap, changes things between them.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Nidhi always talks about the dreams that she has, and even acts according to the same. Both Aby and Nidhi are not sure, but due to talks between Mathew and Nidhi’s father Sudhish Menon (Suresh Krishna), the date for wedding is quickly fixed. It is then that Nidhi has a dream and asks Aby to come to the wedding ceremony on a while horse, for which arrangements are quickly made, but the horse which gets irritated by the camera flash, throws Aby away, landing him in a coma, which makes Mathew leave his decision to commit suicide and take care of his son. Nidhi also waits for his comeback from coma, but days pass, and nothing happens. But one day, there is a twist, and Aby shows movement. Now, it is to be seen if he can get his lost love back when Nidhi’s family do not have anything to do with Aby again and wishes her to get married to someone else. Mathew will go to any extent to keep his son happy, and Aby still loves Nidhi, but is there a future for them again?

The defence of Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira :: This movie is indeed the second best among the Malayalam film releases of the Onam season, which means that it deserves better at least in the OTT platform. The visuals are stunning, and there are moments which would stay just for the beauty of what is shown on the screen. There is a certain amount of cuteness which is there to be taken in relation with the romance of the leading pair. The dupatta song shows the same, and we keep feeling the need to watch the same again and again, once again showing us that romance only needs the sweetness and nothing more – it should be a revelation for some other industries which depends on getting intimate to show love, and some nepo kids of other industries can realize that they could do without doing absurd acting in the name of love and devastate other cultures. The movie will remain technically sound and it is one true good movie, and we will get that feeling because of the lighter mood and no real darkness present to give a bad feeling at any point. The emotions also work in a positive way, and performances strike gold.

The claws of flaw :: The reception that this movie received at the theatre might keep the OTT audience of this part of the world in doubt, as it struggled to score during the Onam season even with Fahadh Faasil and the possibility of connecting with all kinds of audience – this one was removed from the theatres rather too early. The movie’s loss of momentum happens in the second half, especially with the subplot involving another girl in an apartment, but the whole story could have actually done without detailing this particular tale that much, as the length of the movie is also increased due to the same. When trying too many things and as so many elements try to come together in a tale which has the absurd and extra amount of silliness, the crash is somewhat certain. The middle portion, due to the same reason does not hold into the second half. The narrative should have held together in a better way, as the coherence seems to leave the movie. Absurdism with some black humour was just enough, but this one just tries too much.

The performers of the soul :: Fahadh Faasil adds a lot of power to this movie, which does not work as much as director’s more appreciated Njandukalude Veettil Oridavela, and as he gets in to make it better, he starts off well, and maintains that strength. The energy that he displays here is a lot more than one usually sees on the screen. But the one who scores the most is Lal, as the father figure with his strange activities, and dialogues that evoke the most laughter. This is revealed early with his talks with his son and those dialogues about sportsman spirit, wedding of his son and of HD Tharakan are indeed hilarious. He breathes fresh humour into moments which would have otherwise been dull, and he also makes sure that the light tone of the movie never gets to a darker one – it is even revealed on the writing on the clothing chosen by the character. Kalyani Priyadarshan was so different in Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, and here we see something similar to what we had seen in Bro Daddy – she is too good here and perfects the mannerisms of the character. Suresh Krishna and Vinay Forrt adds extra fun, while Revathi Pillai and Dhyan Sreenivasan manage their work in less important subplots fine.

How it finishes :: Unlike the director’s Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela, Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira tries to do too many things at the same time. That debut movie of one of the best actresses who have been less recognized, Aishwarya Lekshmi, was a direct family entertainer with humour and messages at the right portions. That movie served so well that even those who did not appreciate it then are not doing the same in a much better way. It is also one of those movies which are watched on any day or event associated with cancer as a disease, implying the need for survival. This movie is surely not going in that direction, and it will not be something that we will remember for too long with its content, except for certain moments of humour which are definitely there to stay. The movie surely had a lot of potential on paper with its actors, humour and theme which could have been more meaningful even in the absurd. For now, it is still an interesting movie with a divergence, and has the emotional as well as humour running through it – the film surely deserved a better reception in the theatres.

Release date: 29th August 2025
Running time: 151 minutes
Directed by: Althaf Salim
Starring: Fahadh Faasil, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Revathi Pillai, Vinay Forrt, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Idavela Babu, Niranjana Anoop, Lal, Vinay Forrt, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Anuraj O B, Noby Marcose, Vineeth Vasudevan, Suresh Krishna, Vineeth Thattil David, Gopu Kesav, Stephen Samuel, Sreekanth Vettiyar, Athira Niranjana, Varsha Ramesh, Riyas Narmakala, Renjini George, Sreeja Ajith

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Maranamass

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Vampire Owl: There seems to be something sinister about this particular movie.

Vampire Bat: You mean like there is more than what meets the eye.

Vampire Owl: Yes, with a fine dose of evil.

Vampire Bat: You feel that there is more evil here than what seems to exist?

Vampire Owl: Evil does come in many different forms.

Vampire Bat: You mean the dark humour in use here.

Vampire Owl: You see that darkness in humour which makes the film beautiful.

Vampire Bat: There was always going to be evil with a serial killer around.

Vampire Owl: Well, evil always finds a way, doesn’t it?

Vampire Bat: Especially with bigger movies not doing the job well enough.

[Gets a vegetable puffs and three cups of elaichi tea].

What is the movie about? :: Sreekumar (Rajesh Madhavan) lives a seemingly sweet and cute life as he teaches little kids in a kindergarten, and helps them in different possible ways. He seems like the typical kid-lover who cannot keep himself away from them. He takes them for rallies, tells them stories, and gets them support from the government. But in between doing all of these, he is the one serial killer whom the state is searching for. The serial killer has been known for brutally murdering elder people and also making a mockery of their corpses without any remorse and the state has been failing to capture him even with the police force in full alert. At the same time, the people of the same village are trying to send Luke (Basil Joseph) to Czechoslovakia because he has become a nuisance to everyone around him. Due to his strange behaviour, he also becomes a suspect in the serial killings, but is not arrested as police did not consider him to be smart enough to be a murderer with perfect plans.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Luke is not happy because his girlfriend Jessy (Anishma Anilkumar) wishes to breakup with him as he is suspected to be a serial killer by too many people and because he is going to Czechoslovakia. He tries to win her interest back, but keeps failing miserably. At the same time, Jikku (Suresh Krishna) is looking forward to his wedding day, after a big number of rejections that have happened in the last few years due to random people spreading rumours about him. He drives the bus named “Veena Poovu” with Aruvi (Siju Sunny) as the conductor. At the same time, the case about serial killings is passed on to DYSP Ajay Ramachandran (Babu Antony), a remorseless police officer who is being remorseful about his missing dog that forms his only family. It is then that Keshavakurup (Puliyanam Poulose), an old man and womanizer who has been dumped into an old age home escapes and gets into the “Veena Poovu” bus which also has Sreekumar and Jessy as late-night passengers. As the old man tries to misbehave with her, Jessy uses pepper spray on him, leading to his death.

And what complicates things further within chaos? :: Sreekumar is disappointed as he was planning to have the old man as his victim but hopes that he can have the body and make the media feel like it was his victim. But he is not able to take the body away, as Luke comes in for Jessy. The team decides to bury the body, but are not able to do so, with Aruvi feeling that the man is his long-lost father due to the mark on his body. They decide to take the body elsewhere to provide the final rites, but there are so many obstacles that they have to face. This would include people trying to get into the bus, the need to use the bus for the Communist Party purposes and the remaining doubt about Luke being the serial killer. At the same time, the serial killer manages to have some different plans, but none of them would favour Luke and Jessy’s love, Jikku’s upcoming marriage or Aruvi’s love for his father. Can the unexpected team of confused people manage to get out of trouble with none of them dead and buried?

The defence of Maranamass :: The movie uses the dark humour to a fine level, as a serial killer and his attempts at murder gets the funny side to explore. The tale of Tom and Jerry being told in a serial killer’s perspective feels funny because what they do in the cartoon itself is nothing less than attempt at murder if this was in real life. The humour works at all times, and the use of real-life situations is very effective as the movie’s satire stays strong. Basil Joseph handles the whole situation really well as the leading actor, and there is always some fun around he is there. Rajesh Madhavan does a wonderful job as the serial killer, and he adds something special to the movie. Suresh Krishna invokes the funny side very well and is well-supported by Siju Sunny. Anishma Anil Kumar makes a fine presence as the leading actress, and maintains the humorous side very well, as we hope to see more of her work in the coming days. Babu Antony with the humorous side also catches our attention. Puliyanam Poulose adds further humour here.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have had some focus on the story too, as it seems to be woven around humorous situations to make sure that it exists for namesake. Some of the characters seem to be present for the sake of being there. We do not see an attempt to introduce or develop most of them, and some of them just come and go. Some depictions might feel too silly for anyone’s standard, and could have used a little bit more of thoughts. There is no doubt about the fact that there was scope to make the film even better with added content. Maranamass is surely not the movie for everyone, as not all people might get some of the references here, as most of them do point somewhere, and not all viewers can appreciate some dark humour without being offended. People might be more interested in those mass masala and repeated family stuff for Vishu as they would most probably be watching together.

How it finishes :: Maranamass is that kind of a movie which can be watched for the funny side, and not for the tale, because it follows situations which are created to bring laughter and not to take the story forward. This was actually the only Vishu release which had us interested in watching, and that comes as no surprise considering the other releases which felt like no fun. The other releases can be found anywhere at any time, but it is to be noted that movies like this one are not that easy to create with effectiveness. We remember that movies like Aadu became cult classics, but this one is surely better than that, and we see that films like Adi Kapyare Kootamani and Kunjiramayanam had similar silly characters and succeeded in creating a laugh riot – this one is of the same level if we consider the characters that we see around. This is that kind of a film with serial killer which will not leave us in fear, but with a lot to laugh about.

Release date: 10th April 2025
Running time: 141 minutes
Directed by: Sivaprasad
Starring: Basil Joseph, Rajesh Madhavan, Siju Sunny, Babu Antony, Anishma Anilkumar, Suresh Krishna, Pooja Mohanraj, Joemon Jyothir, Puliyanam Poulose, Dheeraj Denny, Prashant Alexander, Tovino Thomas (cameo), Guru Somasundaram (cameo)

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse

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Vampire Owl: I am doubtful if this Dominic is a vampire.

Vampire Bat: There is surely no reason to have such a feeling.

Vampire Owl: He is old, but he does not look that old.

Vampire Bat: Well, we will ask our spies in the human world.

Vampire Owl: Do you think that the protagonist is Sherlock Holmes?

Vampire Bat: Someone who wishes to be like Sherlock Holmes.

Vampire Owl: There have been enough private detectives in Malayalam cinema too.

Vampire Bat: This one seems to take that to modernity.

Vampire Owl: We have always wanted a detective in Cochin.

Vampire Bat: But the theatre response does not seem to show success.

Vampire Owl: Well, there is still time to rise.

Vampire Bat: Other movies have just risen too early.

Vampire Owl: Well, not all movies of same level get the audience response.

Vampire Bat: From the trailer, there is too much left to be guessed.

Vampire Owl: Well, they try to be the same most of the time.

Vampire Bat: You have to recreate the same and not be the exact same.

Vampire Owl: There is something special about being a Sherlock.

Vampire Bat: It is about being the right kind of Sherlock.

Vampire Owl: That would be difficult to do.

Vampire Bat: The trailer of this one still looked promising.

Vampire Owl: Yes, there are moments which I look forward to.

Vampire Bat: We have to begin the new year really well, don’t we?

Vampire Owl: Yes, one movie already managed to be impressive.

Vampire Bat: Two in a week can only be good.

[Gets a box with caramel popcorn and three cups of elaichi tea and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: This turned out to be an interesting journey, even though not exactly Sherlock.

Vampire Bat: This has that slow-burning feeling.

Vampire Owl: The world seems to remain simple though.

Vampire Bat: And our director seems to try to break fourth wall often.

Vampire Owl: I see that this is his first movie in Malayalam.

Vampire Bat: I am very much impressed by the final twist.

Vampire Owl: The dance movements in between seem to leave an impression too.

Vampire Bat: The complexities that come in between makes a twist in the simple tale.

Vampire Owl: The twists are nicely arranged to make way for the final one.

Vampire Bat: There are some fine red herrings at work too.

Vampire Owl: It is nice to see the city of Cochin represented well.

Vampire Bat: And we feel that this can be a franchise to elevate the level.

Vampire Owl: Mammootty and Gokul Suresh do make a nice combination here.

Vampire Bat: Sushmitha Bhatt does make the most impact in this movie though, with the dance, dialogues and revelations.

Vampire Owl: Shine Tom Chacko, Siddique, Vineeth and Vijay Babu are there only in smaller roles though, and that’s surprising though.

Vampire Bat: Meenakshi Unnikrishnan also has a good role to play as another lady love.

Vampire Owl: A little bit of humour is added nicely, but more should have been there.

Vampire Bat: The movie does lack in originality too, as more could have been added to make the level better.

Vampire Owl: The experimental side still runs through here. There was always some risk making a movie like this.

Vampire Bat: How a disgraced police officer turned private detective solves a missing and murder case with a start through a ladies’ purse which lands in his hands due to strange circumstances come as no surprise.

Vampire Owl: Still, Gokul Suresh should have had more classy moments, as it seems that Viji Venkatesh seems to be the next important character on the protagonist’s side.

Vampire Bat: The movie ends up being a satisfactory family investigation with that touch of comic side which also has enough to support the overall light mood, not like the earlier Kannur Squad, Anand Sreebala, Ozler, Thalavan or Anveshippin Kandethum.

Vampire Owl: I was wondering if things could get better with the private detective setup, but this one as of now seems fine.

Vampire Bat: What can a vampire do, but hope for more murder mysteries so that the human world can be more interesting? For humans have enough of demons in themselves?

Vampire Owl: Well, we already have those which serve as good beginnings. There will surely be more thrillers and some interesting serial killers to look out for. After all, humans are more evil than we could ever be.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day served by the clouds and awaits more of the dark days which symbolizes death].

The YouTube video version comes up with the vlogged review. Our YouTube channel Scholar Nomads seeks to expand all horizons, exploring diverse areas of interest through video as much as writing. Not leaving any mode behind, both the blog and vlog will feature film reviews and explore fresh styles, offering even more intriguing content to viewers and readers alike.

Release date: 23rd January 2025
Running time: 152 minutes
Directed by: Gautham Vasudev Menon
Starring: Mammootty, Gokul Suresh, Sushmitha Bhatt, Meenakshi Unnikrishnan, Shine Tom Chacko, Viji Venkatesh, Vineeth, Balachandran Chullikkad, Suresh Krishna, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Lena, Wafa Khatheeja Rahman, Veena Nair, Dinesh Prabhakar, Ashvin Mathew, Neeraja Rajendran, P R Rajasekharan, Arjun Nandhakumar, Harshitha J Pisharody, Laya Simpson, Sudha Sumithran

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Little Hearts

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember those days when we were eating Little Hearts without limits? Those were the most approved biscuits.

Vampire Bat: Those were the days of fine nostalgia. We were not even limited to Little Hearts as we continued lives focused on the little moments of joy.

Vampire Owl: So, they have named a movie after a packet of biscuits. It is a good idea to keep the focus on the food.

Vampire Bat: On the greatest packet of biscuits that we will ever know. Not just us, the greatest that humans will ever know.

Vampire Owl: So, you mean to say that the greatest of them all is not Bourbon or Hide and Seek with those classic looks?

Vampire Bat: There is nothing that matches Little Hearts, and there are not many that matches the old model of Milk Bikis.

Vampire Owl: I am assuming that you are going through a biscuit induced nostalgia, not focused on tea for a change.

Vampire Bat: Well, we have been among the people who have eaten so much of biscuits that we are close to breaking records.

Vampire Owl: We have also waited for this movie to release for a little too long.

Vampire Bat: Well, the first proposed date of release was much earlier.

Vampire Owl: The release should have happened during the vacation.

Vampire Bat: Well, the holidays had seen some strange films creating records with collections.

Vampire Owl: I will never know how these new generation and mindless movies make so much of collection.

Vampire Bat: Well, human taste has always been strange.

Vampire Owl: Trusting their taste is the strangest thing a vampire can do.

Vampire Bat: At least the trailer of this movie did a pretty good job in making an impression.

Vampire Owl: You know that making a trailer is often too easy a job if there is not that much of a content to show in the full film

[Gets a box with tomato popcorn and three cups of cardamom tea and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: This is an interesting movie, even though there is no attempt at variety. It goes on well, as if it was just determined to move on.

Vampire Bat: After RDX: Robert Dony Xavier and Vela, Shane Nigam seems to have quite a different role here and has nailed this one too.

Vampire Owl: Shane Nigam and Mahima Nambiar team has returned as a pair quite well, even though latter should have been there for more.

Vampire Bat: Well, the romantic side of Shane and Mahima has the least focus among the romances shown in this movie.

Vampire Owl: The three romances here face problems due to different reasons, and none of them seems to be ready to be accepted by the society.

Vampire Bat: Well society, economic well-being and sexuality will always have roles to play in the society forever.

Vampire Owl: Well, I would say that these are rather eternal, like Uncle Dracula.

Vampire Bat: The tale of Baburaj and his relationship with the son played by Shane Nigam makes the biggest impact though.

Vampire Owl: Yes, with both the humour as well as the emotional side has been managed so well, reminding one of those early days of moving into humour from villainy.

Vampire Bat: Yet, it could not further develop on the same, and manages to travel just on the usual and predictable path.

Vampire Owl: The feel-good path is the one road too much travelled, and without trying too much to make things better.

Vampire Bat: There are still those moments with Little Hearts packets, and there is the certainty of tea being shown again and again.

Vampire Owl: The one who played the migrant worker from the North really did a great job, and brings humour being second only to Baburaj. Yet, rest of the humour goes through a struggle at times.

Vampire Bat: Shane’s avatar in a different style works well, even though he should have more of romantic side with Mahima. The deviation was not that much needed, at least with this much of an effect.

Vampire Owl: Well, even in their previous movie together, they had parted way too soon. At least with the feel-good mode one, that would not happen.

Vampire Bat: For the same, it seems that the end was forced to reach that destination of feel-good for the common soul.

Vampire Owl: In a world of viewers where they are strangely addicted to drugs and alcohol like never before, can we ever have enough feel-good?

Vampire Bat: Can you blame them with so many superstars trying to put them into a world of nonsense far away from a righteous reality?

Vampire Owl: Well, I would trust this simple feel-good film with nice green visuals and some interesting songs which are there to stay for long. There is no real danger in the happenings of this one, and the light-hearted side keeps the darkness away.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day because the clouds have done the trick to hide the sun and bring the much needed darkness].

This is the YouTube video with the second film review there. The video reviews have had the focus since the last one, and tries to make interesting comments about the selected movies. The writing will also go on through its path, but the visual side also has its say more than ever, as the YouTube channel “Scholar Nomads” intends to explore more areas of interest. For both blog and vlog, there will be films reviews and even more to be seen.

Release date: 7th June 2024 (Theatre)
Running time: 134 minutes
Directed by: Anto Jose Pereira and Aby Treesa Paul
Starring: Shane Nigam, Shine Tom Chacko, Baburaj, Mahima Nambiar, Renji Panicker, Shammi Thilakan, Jaffer Idukki, Aima Rosmy Sebastian, Ramya Suvi, Maala Parvathy, Parvathy Babu, John Kaippallil

<<< Click here to go to the previous film review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous romantic film review.

<<< Click here to go to the review of our first favourite film of the year.

<<< Click here to go to the review of the most underrated film of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Premalu

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Vampire Owl: We were never really planning to watch this one.

Vampire Bat: We are way past romantic comedy right now.

Vampire Owl: Well, who falls in love during these days of chaos?

Vampire Bat: There are always people who falls in love.

Vampire Owl: It is a human thing, I guess.

Vampire Bat: Yes, just like violence, hatred and hostility.

Vampire Owl: Humans are trying to hide their true nature with this?

Vampire Bat: They will have to show their terrifying true faces at some point.

Vampire Owl: We will enjoy this veneer applied on them for now.

Vampire Bat: Their world, their movies, their valentines.

[Gets a Kolkata Kathi Roll and three cups of Darjeeling Tea].

What is the movie about? :: Sachin (Naslen K Gafoor) is a jobless young man who managed to get his degree from a random college where he had fallen in love with a girl whom he know, but that thought itself never made any sense as the girl hardly even knew him. He gets back home and finds that his visa to the United Kingdom is rejected. He meets his old friend Amal (Sangeeth Prathap) after a long time, and decides to go with him to Hyderabad and attend GATE coaching, even though he has no clue about what he is doing. They are invited to the wedding ceremony of their teacher Shobi (Althaf Salim), scheduled to take place in Andhra Pradesh. At the function, he falls in love with Reenu (Mamitha Baiju) who had recently joined an IT firm in Hyderabad and was there with her colleagues. Their first meeting is not that great to talk about, and fails to create an impression as he almost kills her colleague and admirer Aadhi (Shyam Mohan M) and Reenu’s best friend Karthika (Akhila Bhargavan) feels that they have other motives.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Reenu and Karthika has no way to return to Hyderabad after the function, they choose to go back with Sachin and Amal. Aadhi who has been in love with Reenu since they first met, does not agree to the same. The journey makes them good friends and Sachin wishes to make sure that Reenu falls in love with him. At the same time, Karthika feels that Amal has fallen in love with her, which should be the reason why they keep contacting the two girls. Sachin and Amal invite Reenu and Karthika to a pub to attend a part for couples, but in the absence of a partner for their flat mate Niharika (Meenakshi Raveendran), they decline the offer. But this brings them to Thomas (Mathew Thomas), a science-addict who is paired with Niharika. The visit to the pub is messed up as they realize that nothing good is going to come out of all of these. But Sachin is still infatuated with Reenu, but is there any way for him to make love happen, and what can Amal do about all these?

The defence of Premalu :: The simple fun movie mode is turned on with this movie from the beginning to the end. The happy and light mood keeps making things better. The funny counters are really good, and might be repeated in the comedy shows for the new generation, as we see this as the first full comedy of the year. The movie becomes the reminder that there can be jokes which are suitable for everyone, even though sometimes it seems to show small tendencies to deviate to the other side. Friendship and romance, even when not new, feels refreshing, as the attempt to keep this interesting with moments can be seen. The stars have also been doing some great job in promoting the movie – saw them from a distance at Puthettu Cinemas, Palai last week, and that seemed to be a cheerful group of Mamitha Baiju, Sangeeth Prathap and Meenakshi Raveendran. The happy nature seems to be reflected in the film very well. We do have this movie showing the naïve nature of the youth that works pretty well.

The claws of flaw :: There is almost nothing to be taken seriously in regards to Premalu, as we see the characters go through the simple problems touched with humour. In the attempt to remain funny at all times, we see that trivial matters gain importance over everything else. This means that the amount of silliness that comes in between might be too high, but that kind of a feeling would be suitable more for films like Kunjiramayanam that could thrive on the foolishness of the characters from the beginning to the end, typecasting them. The movie is also a little too long for one’s liking, as there is not that much of a content to continue to ponder over. There is too much of a repetition for people who are less interested in the genre. The idea of having a foolish hero getting to marry a smart and intelligent heroine remains ridiculous; the happy ending seems forced, and these people separating forever would have been the right choice here. The weakness of second half is clearly seen in this movie, as the film seems to be confused where to stop.

The performers of the soul :: Naslen K Gafoor has been the boy next door for quite a long time, proving his point multiple times often considered in combination with Mathew Thomas of Kumbalangi Nights fame. The two made a fine combo in Thanneer Mathan Dinangal as well as Jo and Jo. He shines with the shades of comedy, even though there is some overdose. Naslen has gone further, as it was earlier somewhat shown in Kuruthi while Mathew also has a cameo role here which raises the interest of viewers. Mamitha Baiju has been a favourite among the youth more than ever in the recent years, starting with Sarvopari Palakkaran followed by Varathan a long time ago, but getting the big roles in Operation Java and Kho Kho. She has once again proven the point that she is perfectly suitable to this kind of roles. Meenakshi Raveendran is a joy to see again after that feel-good of Tholvi F C, but has too less to do. Sangeeth Prathap provides very good support here with shades of humour all over. Akhila Bhargavan is a lovely addition and Shyam Mohan with some memorable comic dialogues also add to the interesting young cast who make the impact here.

How it finishes :: Premalu is that kind of a romantic comedy which focuses on the humorous side so well that it remains entertaining throughout its run, and provides nothing more with content. The movie has found that kind of a cast that works like a dream. It becomes an enjoyable journey for families including children and youth, but not that much for people who are looking for some serious content. If we look at the same as we have intended it to be, there would be a smooth run here, and one can be left happy in the end, while going through laughs in between, without brains. It could be the bliss of solitude in parts, as there is no attempt to get into a darker mood even when things seem to go down for the protagonist. The success of the movie is a reminder that we have not lost that touch in enjoying the movies with no serious content, even though thrillers have remained the big scorers at the box office, with the last two being Abraham Ozler and Neru. Well, we still know that there are more big releases coming up and Premalu has to fight hard to maintain its good spot at he box-office.

Release date: 9th February 2024
Running time: 156 minutes
Directed by: Girish A D
Starring: Naslen K Gafoor, Mamitha Baiju, Sangeeth Prathap, Shyam Mohan M, Akhila Bhargavan, Meenakshi Raveendran, Althaf Salim, Shameer Khan, Ranjith Narayan Kurup, AR Rajaganesh, K S Prasad, Mathew Thomas (cameo)

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Falimy

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Vampire Owl: I think that humans no longer have the concept of ideal family.

Vampire Bat: Are you referring to the change of spelling here?

Vampire Owl: I am referring to the idea of a perfect family.

Vampire Bat: Humans have never been family-oriented by nature.

Vampire Owl: So, the human nature has been missing for long?

Vampire Bat: They are moving away from families as it is not in their nature.

Vampire Owl: So, there are no families anymore?

Vampire Bat: Almost all families of humans are broken now.

Vampire Owl: So, there is no more hope for them?

Vampire Bat: Hope is now a thing of the undead, not of the living.

[Gets a vancho cake and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Janardhanan (Meenaraj Palluruthy) is an 82 year old man, the eldest person in the family who keeps trying to travel to Varanasi, but every time someone from his family finds him on the way and brings him back. But that does not stop him from trying again and again. On one occasion, he had almost boarded the train itself. His son Chandran (Jagadish) does not go for any job, and had ended up shutting down the printing press owned by the family. He spends most of his time doing nothing except watching television. He has a lack of interest in family matters, and becomes more and more alcoholic as time progresses. Chandran’s wife Rema (Manju Pillai) is working at a press, and tries to keep her family running without problems. She keeps the family together after giving her best efforts. The elder son of Chandran and Rema, Anoop (Basil Joseph) works as a dubbing artist in a nearby studio. Abhijith (Sandeep Pradeep), the younger child spends his time doing nothing, and dreaming about getting out of India, preferably the United Kingdom.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Things seem to get better when Anoop gets an alliance from Anagha (Raina Radhakrishnan), a school teacher who had earlier rejected the idea of marriage itself. The engagement gets into trouble as a man named Robin (Joemon Jyothir) disrupts the ceremony, claiming to be her lover. Abhijith beats him up, only to be chased by the goons regularly. Anoop who feels cheated decides to go to Varanasi for a change, accompanying his grandfather, and a frightened Abhijith also decides to go with them. Chandran and Rema also decide to go and according to the plan, they get into the train. On the way, at a railway station at night, Chandran finds himself tricked by a tea-selling boy at a railway station, and he is stranded at the station with his wife and two sons. The grandfather is also forced to get out of the train, and the whole family is forced to continue the journey by road. But with tension building between them, can they finally finish the journey? How far will they travel?

The defence of Falimy :: There is a pretty good attempt to display a middle class family with all the small problems that become inflated as members do not understand each other too well. The realizations that come across them are nicely shown here. Having Basil Joseph at the centre surely has worked in favour of the movie, and Antony Varghese withdrawing from the project did not do that much of a damage. The message about importance of being one family and providing values to the desires of the elders could get the attention here. The frustrations in the movie do feel real, as the meaningless existence of a few and the inability to find meaning for others do get some presence here. Living through some habits which lead nowhere would not feel strange to our people, as doing nothing itself has become a habit due to the rise of Youtube – people these days know nothing other than to make videos which are watched by more jobless people, and it is one reason why we need the Terminator-type apocalypse to come and internet to go down. The visuals outside Kerala makes an impact, especially as we get closer to Varanasi with the characters.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does go through its struggles just like the characters within it. There seems to be the feeling that there is comedy when there is none. The comic side often losses its charm as it is lost between reality and the need to add something extra. In the name of showing middle class families, the movie also shows too many brainless people – in a society, we would expect at least one person to have some brain, but this locality and extended family seems to be different, and it is to be noted that this is not a Kuniramayanam or Adi Kapyare Koottamani type of film to move that way. The poverty here seems to be that of intellect rather than anything else. The movie could have used its spirituality at the end to its advantage, or bring back the wedding element to create the feel-good, but this one is caught between the feel-good and the dumb comedy which often prevents film from making the best out of the available potential. There was so much to be done, but this family takes the easy path, and that might have felt like the safer one for them. This is where the struggle feels more real for the movie than the characters.

The performers of the soul :: Basil Joseph remains the major protagonist here, and he adds more to the existing factors like in Enkilum Chandrike. He makes this character so good with the frustration, helplessness and meaningless existence which becomes him – you know that it is very difficult for a young man to get married in this part of the world if you do not have a government job. At the same time, Jagadish and Manju Pillai makes a fine combination and adds to some situational and realistic humour, but the latter do not have a Home-like platform here to get to serious mode. Sandeep Pradeep also comes up with some fine performance in a new generation realistic mode here. Meenaraj Palluruthy has a fine performance which would be remembered for long, and the emotional touch remains strong. Boloram Das who plays the main character outside Kerala also leaves us with some fine moments to cherish, filled with funny elements. Raina Radhakrishnan who is like the main female lead for a few minutes also leaves a mark – the moments have a cute side as well as a tragic one, which sets the world moving forward. It could have been good to have her back at the end of the movie, but it was not to be.

How it finishes :: Falimy is a movie which could have surely been much better, and there could have been better quality associated with different elements present here. The attempts to create comedy out of nowhere do not work at all times, but the simplicity and the plan to remain close to reality would keep it going and gain the positive appreciation that it required. The journey still does not become a Kumbalangi Nights kind of adventure which we could cherish for a longer period of time. It has been strange throughout the movie to see so many opportunities to be wasted. You cannot keep asking the ordinary space to create something special out of situations, and that is where the problem lies. Consistency has not been a quality of this film from the beginning itself. Yet, we watch this one for those moments, the comic ones that work here and there and the emotional ones that struggle even further to create impact. The movie surely manages to be at a higher level than the rubbish that is provided to us in the form of realism, like Angamaly Diaries and Annayum Rasoolum, two of the most miserable nothingness movies in the history of Malayalam cinema.

Release date: 15th December 2023 (Hotstar); 17th November 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 127 minutes
Directed by: Nithish Sahadev
Starring: Basil Joseph, Jagadish, Manju Pillai, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Raina Radhakrishna, Joemon Jyothir, Boloram Das, Amith Mohan, Meenaraj Palluruthy, Sandeep Pradeep

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Tholvi F C

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Vampire Owl: I would like to sponsor this football club.

Vampire Bat: We are not allowed to sponsor clubs of humans.

Vampire Owl: But I have the money, like human cash.

Vampire Bat: It has never been about the money.

Vampire Owl: Well, for humans, it has always been about the money.

Vampire Bat: Uncle Dracula has never talked about money.

Vampire Owl: This is about survival in an evil human world.

Vampire Bat: You can try sponsoring any drink some vampire business instead.

Vampire Owl: We shouldn’t do business, for we lose money.

Vampire Bat: Well, we live in a vampire welfare society. There is no need of too much cash.

[Gets a chicken pizza and three cups of Bagdogra tea].

What is the movie about? :: Oommen (Sharaf U Dheen) is an engineer who quit his job in IT industry at Bangalore to start his own business in the form of a grand tea shop known as Chai Nation Private Limited, which he established close to an It park. But the venture is not successful, and his plans to expand the business gets nowhere. His father Kuruvila (Johny Antony) is only interested in making profit by investing in cryptocurrency, and he miserably fails in doing the same like he had earlier did with share market. Thambi (George Kora), Oommen’s brother is running a football club for children known as Thambi FC, based out of Kadavanthra. But the team has always been losing matches, especially to their newfound nemesis Bolgatty FC. Shoshamma (Asha Madathil Sreekanth) is not happy about her jobless husband Kuruvilla or the two sons who are also of no use. During one of the games, he gets to meet Mariyam (Meenakshi Raveendran), who is very much interested in football, and has returned to her sister Shahana (Anju Abraham) and brother-in-law Feroz (Abraham Joseph) who forms a typical orthodox family. She had only recently divorced her husband at Qatar, which has led to her living a lonely life.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The struggles of Oommen, Thambi and Kuruvilla comes together with the failed attempts of Shoshamma to get her book published while going through her life as a librarian. Her psychological thriller keeps getting rejected by different publishers. Oomen is in love with Sharmin (Poonam Gurung) from Tibet who used to work with him, while Thambi and Mariyam gets closer to each other as much as they go keep the passion for football. Oomen’s attempts to impress a potential sponsor Althaf (Althaf Salim) fails miserably, while Thambi F C losses its players after a fight which breaks out after a match. Both Thambi F C and Chai Nation continues to be in trouble as the latter forms the main sponsor for the team. Kuruvilla is forced to get out of home as he losses more of the money earned by Shoshamma. Oomen’s relationship with Sharmin also gets into trouble. The family struggles to keep things going, as life gets more and more difficult for them to remain normal. Can they finally go past the struggles and get what each of them wishes to achieve in their lives?

The defence of Tholvi F C :: We have always looked for some fine family movies which we can relate to, and finish the movie with some happiness that can be kept with us for long. The message about gaining success in life is asserted strongly again and again. We are never short of the need to have some inspirational movies as long as they do not overdo their ideas with impossible or useless ideas which lead us to trouble. This movie knows where it stands in relation to that, and even though the investment and innovation mode might feel extra, the overall thing remains interesting and connectible to all of us. There are only a few feel-good movies with family and children that have managed to make a good impression on me, and this is surely one of them. Unlike some other overrated families in Malayalam movies, this is surely one family that we can love better than other. The comic side is very good, and they also feel realistic and close to our lives, sometimes reminding us of the pathetic state of affairs all around us, serving as satire too. Some of the dialogues are nicely written to stay in our minds and situations are created in the same way too. The significance of tea is also asserted so well, and a dream come true for all tea lovers to see the drink taking centre stage at times.

The claws of flaw :: There are moments when Tholvi F C tries to force some feel-good factor when the chance was not really there. The elements of football could have been taken in a better way. Some parts of the movie seem to be added just for the sake of having them there, even though no movie needs to focus on giving equality and liberty ideas all the time. There are moments when quick solution achieved despite going deeper, as humour takes over fast enough to overtake the tension. The problems of motherly figure also get a little too less attention here, as the character was the one who could have had much more to display here. The scattering of the elements of the movie is surely uneven, as it struggles to combine them at times. Sometimes, the movie does try too hard all of a sudden, but then we also realize that it is moving towards that aim of being full feel-good, to which tireless striving and the requirement not to yield is to be asserted, and we also let it go and move along. Still, a better title would have inspired more people to watch this one for sure.

The performers of the soul :: The main role of the movie is handled well by Sharaf U Dheen, who had already done a similar job well with Madhura Manohara Moham, providing the image of the family man who is not that successful in life. In this case, the bigger struggle belongs to him rather than the others around him, even though the problems belong to all of them. Johny Antony plays the father figure with his own long-lasting troubles well, as his transformation to the hardworking man is well-portrayed and combination scenes with Asha Madathil Sreekanth work really well. George Kora, the director plays the other character that undergoes transformation from the irresponsible to the better man with the touch of humour that keeps the movie getting better as it progresses. What strikes us more is Meenakshi Raveendran in a serious role which never ceases to be impressive. From Naayika Nayikan days and the later Udan Panam days with Dain Davis, we knew that she was a talent to be remembered, and she re-iterates the same even though she has not been provided which that many roles in the industry. The emotional side is as much safe with her as the humour. Althaf Salim and Anuraj O B nicely adds to the overall humour with some fine funny moments, and the child actors are really good here.

How it finishes :: Tholvi F C never really moves away from its feel-good factor, and the possibilities that it can achieve with simple family humour. This is one movie which is powered by its female lead more than any other even though it is not that much marketed in the same way, as Meenakshi Raveendran keeps scoring so well with multiple sides of life. There is no doubt about the fact that the movie could have been better with the progression of a tale which intends to be inspiring, but the purpose is nicely served in the end. For a new year, we should be looking for movies which would motivate us to do better, and this movie in Amazon Prime Video now, does the same with effectiveness. This drama about dysfunctional families never gets out of the light mood, even though some dark shades and a feeling of real danger comes in the end. We have some beginning to 2024 through the OTT platform, and we can only hope that the same can be there in the theatres too, as we wish another fine year for Malayalam movie industry which brings more collections and even more viewers than last year with bigger getting ready for release.

Release date: 4th January 2024 (Amazon Prime Video); 3rd November 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 120 minutes
Directed by: George Kora
Starring: Sharaf U Dheen, Johny Antony, Meenakshi Raveendran, George Kora, Asha Madathil Sreekanth, Althaf Salim, Rahul Riji Nair, Poonam Gurung, Anuraj OB, Ashlee Issac Abraham, Joemon Jyothir, Amith Mohan Rajeshwari, Srikanth Mohan, Abraham Joseph, Anju Abraham, Ayden Abraham

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Kurukkan

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Vampire Owl: So, we are talking about a clever fox here.

Vampire Bat: I don’t think that vampire foxes can be clever.

Vampire Owl: I do not see any mention of this fox being a vampire.

Vampire Bat: The possibility of a vampire fox cannot be ignored.

Vampire Owl: What about the vampire wolf among werewolves?

Vampire Bat: A vampire wolf shall only be a werewolf.

Vampire Owl: I thought we were categorizing them into two.

Vampire Bat: Uncle Dracula has said that we shall trust no wolf.

Vampire Owl: I thought we were using wolves against wolves infinitely.

Vampire Bat: We don’t do divide and rule here. It is the job of humans.

[Gets some butterscotch pastry and three cups of Siliguri tea].

What is the movie about? :: Krishnan Rajasekharan (Sreenivasan) is a documenter who keeps appearing in the court to falsely testify, as a witness. He had only recently become a witness to win over a case which was almost lost. He has proven to be helpful in many different cases, and his motive is the monetary benefit. It is then that a model and social media influencer Neenu Iype (Mareena Michael Kurisingal) is found dead in her huge mansion. CI Dinesh KT (Vineeth Sreenivasan) is in charge of the investigation. Commissioner Balachandran K (Joji John) wants the case to be solved as early as possible, as the media hype is rather too much to handle. Neenu’s roommate Anjitha Narayanan (Ansiba Hassan) and Manager Bhagat (Nandan Unni) are confident that she is in no relationship and has no enemies at all. There is also no clue of anyone having entered the house and there are no male finger prints. Dinesh and his subordinates SI Reena Mathew (Sruthy Jayan) and SI Sajad Hassan (Aswath Lal) come under immense pressure.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: At the same time, Dinesh’s friend provides the information that there are drugs in a certain room in a popular hotel in the city. Dinesh, who was looking for an opportunity to improve his image, arrests two people from the same room after finding some white powder. But upon examination by the experts, it is discovered to be just gypsum powder. Dinesh who feels ashamed about the situation tries to frame the man who delivered the newspapers at Neenu’s house, Hari (Shine Tom Chacko) in the case to save his image. Dinesh plans the whole thing and arrests Hari while going to attend a PSC examination, much to the dismay of his lover, Arya (Malavika Menon). He also tries to prove that Hari does not have a good record in his past, and gets the support of the public prosecutor, despite the commissioner not being sure about this case’s progress. Now, it is up to Hari to prove his innocence, but once again Krishnan is there to give false witness. It is not easy to find a way out.

The defence of Kurukkan :: The attempt to move from the usual to become divergent is interesting indeed. The movie certainly required its seriousness along with the comic side, and that has been managed for most of its run. For the same, it has created the perfect partners in crime out of the right father-son duo; their adventures could have actually been longer. The final court scenes are hilarious, and the best moments are well-adjusted to the final shots of the movie. As one wonders if such scenes are actually possible, it is certainly far more realistic than what Jana Gana Mana dialogues make us feel in an artificial manner. The basic human nature can also be seen reflected here, as people continue to be what they do not seem to be. The inherent evil in man would find it difficult to let the innocent thrive, and the film shows it through multiple instances. There are no shortages for foxes in our world, and it is the innocent who have to take the blame, as it is shown in the movie. The smart evil ones often make the best out of their opportunities.

The claws of flaw :: The inability of Kurukkan to thrive on its advantages can be clearly seen throughout its run. There were so many opportunities to gain advantage here, but the same is not used effectively. The scene at the beginning which is the recreation of a known case is rather foolish and a sign of lacking in creativity and innovation. The use of some of the performers in the respective roles is questionable considering how the characters have been written. The main character here could have been developed better, especially with his personal relations. The mystery is also not effectively solved in the end, as the blending of genres often goes through a certain amount of struggle which makes some characters wonder about their existence. We have also reached a situation when talking about social media influencers do not concern the common man who go through their daily struggles any more. The comic side on some occasions also feel a little bit overdone in a film which has kept itself as normal as possible otherwise. Kurukkan could have mixed its world like Adi Kapyare Koottamani and evoked laugher, but it couldn’t really do that.

The performers of the soul :: In terms of performances, it is Vineeth Sreenivasan who stands out, and further excels in the final moments of the movie. He is not the usual cop, even for the comic standards, as a separate identity has been built efficiently by him. Another person standing tall is the real-life father and the reel-life partner in crime, Sreenivasan who has his fine moments of comedy. He once again pulls off a twisted role with ease. Shine Tom Chacko does not have the usual role when he is suspected as part of proceedings by the audience, as this time, the innocence is easily felt – but the role is not without his usual tendencies that are visible yet again. Malavika Menon has a neat role to perform here, and does a fine job to continue giving the feeling that she is here for stronger roles. Mareena Michael Kurisingal and Ansiba Hassan do not have much to do around here while Sruthy Jayan and Gowri Nandha have more notable moments. Aswath Lal also does some nice work here. Then, it is always nice to see Azees Nedumangad getting some roles to be noted.

How it finishes :: Kurukkan will have our attention with moments for sure. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and finding faults around here might not be a difficult task. It is not a movie to be taken that seriously and is not to be a movie full of laughs, taking care of both genres in one way or the other. The final moments of the film would make sure that it finishes well, and there is also that poetic justice very well provided. Kurukkan could surely have a sequel, or even a prequel, as the adventures of the main character deserved more. The movies like these are the type which we watch at some later time period when there is a lot of time at hand, and when the need for some nice little humour has arisen. We have had some interesting movies like Madhura Manohara Moham and Nalla Nilaavulla Raarthri which were not given that much hype. This one had created a better interest among the audience with the trailers, but the others might have turned out to be bigger movies in the end, except for the climax where this movie scores the most.

Release date: 25th August 2023 (Amazon Prime Video); 27th July 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 123 minutes
Directed by: Jayalal Divakaran
Starring: Vineeth Sreenivasan, Sreenivasan, Shine Tom Chacko, Srikant Murali, Dileep Menon, Joji John, Sudheer Karamana, Mareena Michael Kurisingal, Malavika Menon, Ansiba Hassan, Sruthy Jayan, Aswath Lal, Balaji Sharma, Krishnan Balakrishnan, Azees Nedumangad, Nandan Unni, Rashmi Anil, Anjali Sathyanath, Sohan Seenulal, Ancy Sarah, Shaji Marad, Ajay Joseph, Mel Saju John, Riyaz Pattambi, Bijesh Naduvil, Manup Jaganathan

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✠ The Vampire Bat.