angamaly – Movies of the Soul

What is the movie about? :: Ashley Thankachan (Mamitha Baiju), a confident young student from Mundakkayam, moves to Angamaly to pursue studies as her family faces financial difficulties due to her father being a full-time drunkard who does not go for any job without creating any problems. The family settles down in a rented home as her mother takes charge of the home-related activities for the family of four. There is also a dispute with their family which makes it almost impossible to sell their ancestral house and land back in their hometown. He finds new friends at the location and finds Justin Davis (Nivin Pauly), a bachelor in his mid-thirties who lives in the nearby house. He is well-known and liked in the neighbourhood and runs a catering business, and he is known to help others who go through any struggle. She also meets Justin’s brother Joel Davis (Sangeeth Prathap) who spends most of his time trying to make a successful short-film with his lover Sayoojya (Parvathy Ayyappadas) as the main heroine while keeping their relationship a secret. Justin’s nearby and work-related friends Baiju (Suresh Krishna), Printo (Shameer Khan) and Glixon (Roshan Shanavas) also make themselves known at the same time.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Then there are the Moreli sisters who are the cousins of Justin, Riya Moreli (Meenakshi Raveendran), Sri Reshma Moreli (Srinda) and Renju Moreli (Sreerenjini), who become best friends with Ashley – they become part of various activities of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, a church-based family unit which also serves as a creative inspiration for various activities. Glixon develops a certain romantic interest with Ashley who does not show any interest in him, but develops feeling for Justin who has remained a bachelor after the death of his fiancée many years ago, and had only recovered from depression a few years ago with his catering business becoming successful against all odds. He has been serving as a leading participant in different activities of the area since then. Justin’s aunty, Sister Cicily (Bindu Panicker) finds out about Ashley’s love for him, which comes as a surprise, but he finds out that he has the same feelings for her. But the age difference and her parents’ other plans for her seems to come as a hindrance between them. Can their love survive this upcoming crisis?

The defence of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit :: We note that the age-gap dynamic between the two characters is treated with mutual respect and clarity without providing any uncomfortable feeling. The interactions also feel natural and not like something forced on the characters as part of the acting process. Their original age gap is reflected as part of the tale, unlike those movies in which older so-called superstars playing younger men and teenage heroines playing older women to bridge the gap between their lifespans. Along with the main cast, the support is also really strong with this one. The music nicely supports the movie, and there is a certain amount of nostalgia related to the talk about the past, as many of us feel close to the hero who has had a sad past. The humour nicely comes out of situations, as ego clashes and awkward family interactions easily create them, while some natural and common silliness also adds to the same. The emotions are still maintained in a strong manner, and we see that the romantic side remains cuter than ever.

Positives and negatives :: One could still feel that the tale could have had more depth to the proceedings, with the world outside the main characters also getting some more attention. But the simplicity remains a positive quality of the movie. Yet it seems to end quickly, but it serves the feel-good well as we look at it. The light-hearted feeling remains in such a way that even when there is a big fight going on, there is no real feeling of danger; we enjoy the same, as there is always a humorous side at work. The movie’s service as an Onam flick can never be questioned as it embraces the perfect mood so well – the other movies releasing with it can still have the audience who could not get tickets for this one, and those films which changed dates of release can be glad to have escaped from this competition. The fine frames here capture the lovely feeling of a suburban Kerala parish neighborhood unit. Underneath the comic side, the film explores the family expectations, the social awkwardness around non-traditional relationships and generational friction which always exists, and the same is also done without being too preachy or melodramatic.

The performers of the soul :: After Sarvam Maya, Nivin Pauly once again returns to the kind of role in which we have loved him, moving out of the Baby Girl and Prathichaya movies which came in between in thriller mode. Another return to top form with a classic and effortless feel-good/rom-com performance has us interested. Meanwhile, Mamitha Baiju delivers a grounded, expressive and confident performance which stays close to realism. Their chemistry feels more natural than ever, and the same keeps the movie going strong. Some of the dialogues used by them and situations in which we see them in life feel like natural part of life, and there is no artificial feeling about them – most of the romance we see in many other movies had not much real about them, for the Gothic often felt more realistic than them. Unlike her previous one hundred crore movie with Naslen, this one has her in a realistic world which is close to our life, and we remember that the earlier movie was more about silliness than anything else, with improbable situations. We know that Operation Java and Kho Kho were the earlier movies in which she had our attention, and here, the level has gone higher.

Further performers of the soul :: The movie’s standout performer as far as humour is concerned is Suresh Krishna, who has moved out of those serious and antagonistic roles to bring the kind of characters whom we remember during those happy and funny moments in life. His humorous moments will stay with us for quite some time, and it is also a character whom we would love to have around. Sangeeth Prathap once again has a fun role, and he repeats his good work in a territory which seems to work so well for him. Roshan Shanavas also has his fun moments, and the humour starts early for him in this movie and goes on well. Shyam Mohan’s work is also worth a lot of attention, and he shines very well in those final moments and the humour about him keeps the final moments going. Vinay Forrt also brings more effectiveness with a defining character. Srinda and Meenakshi Raveendran comes up with the characters we would remember too, and it is always nice to see the latter around for more as she our favourite from that acting reality show.

How it finishes :: Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is that return to the feel-good that we have always wanted, especially with the one leading actor who has been an expert in the same. As far as the director Girish A D is concerned, he gets his best movie so far with this one, and pushes Thanner Mathan Days to the second spot, with Premalu being pushed to the third, and Super Sharanya in comparison, is nothing but a shadow that comes alive only when that forced final romantic track is not active. Here, he has achieved the pinnacle of normal and realistic feel-good rooted in simplicity. As a lighthearted, warm and realistic family rom-com with breezy comedy, this one is clearly the winner of the Onam season. Without jokes made with bad intention or poor intent, this one is that kind of a film which is suitable for all kinds of audience. Despite a strong emotional side, the movie’s feel-good with the lighter elements keep it working all the time as humour thrives with ease. The quick one hundred crore collection is a reflection of the same, and as family audience do not have that much of a choice during this festival holiday season, the movie should continue to do well.

Release date: 21 August 2026
Running time: 155 minutes
Directed by: Girish A D
Starring: Nivin Pauly, Mamitha Baiju, Sangeeth Prathap, Vinay Forrt, Suresh Krishna, Shyam Mohan, Roshan Shanavas, Bindu Panicker, Srinda, Meenakshi Raveendran, Sreerenjini, Shameer Khan, Priya S Babu, Parvathy Ayyappadas

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

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