I am a northie , but a regular consummer of Malayalam movies. I'd say Sushin Shyam is probably one of the best composers in India right now. He didn't do any movie in 2025 and this year only 2. He does only 2 movies per year. I think he deserves to get more offers.

Wow! what a movie🎥 (Amazon Prime) This deserves IMDb : 7+, (I wonder why this movie got only 5 )

Must watch full of Painkili is one of those movies where you just sit back and enjoy the madness . It’s a fun drama packed with hell lot of comedy, funny situations and characters that keep the entertainment going.

The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously and that’s exactly what makes it enjoyable. There are plenty of moments that genuinely make you laugh, while the drama keeps things moving.

If you’re looking for a light-hearted, entertaining movie to watch with friends or family, Painkili is definitely worth a watch.

My take: Must watch if you’re in the mood for a good laugh

Amal Neerad and his obsession with stylised cinematic making style, gave us in 2014 one of the best and most technically well made movies ever in Malayalam, "Iyobinte Pusthakam", a movie nobody needs an introduction to. It's a timeless classic, not just for its cinematic shots or an absolute brilliant ensemble of cast, but how it, as a movie is executed.

I re-watched Iyobinte Pusthakam recently and just realised certain aspects of the movie that i did not notice previously, and my admiration for this artistic masterpiece just got elevated again. Iyobinte Pusthakam is a full-blown, stylised historical period fiction wrapped in the cinematic anatomy of a Spaghetti Western and classical tragedy. Yes, it actually uses a very common recurring theme of old western hollywood genre, but carefully camouflages it in the settings of Munnar, but with the social settings of colonial and 60's Kerala, and thus creating a perfect balance between a stylised cinematic troupe, with real elements of historic identity.

The narrative spans from the early 1900s through the post-WWII era (culminating around the late 1940s and 1950s) in the high-range tea plantations of Munnar, Travancore. Co-written by Gopan Chithambaram and Syam Pushkaran, the script operates as an intersection of Shakespeare's King Lear (the aging patriarch dividing power among treacherous versus exiled heirs), the biblical Book of Job, and Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov:

The Patriarchal Axis, Lal as Iyob—the fiercely loyal slave turned ruthless plantation overlord.

The Sibling Dynamic: Chemban Vinod (Dimitri) and Jinu Joseph (Ivan) channel raw, unhinged brutality and calculated greed, contrasting Fahadh's brooding, morally grounded Aloshy.

The Disruptor: Jayasurya as Angoor Rawther—a razor-sharp, eccentric antagonist with one of the most distinctive anti-hero screen presences in modern Malayalam cinema.

The Subversive Supporting Roster: Padmapriya (Rahel), Lena (Kazhali), Vinayakan (Chemban), Isha Sharvani (Martha), TG Ravi, and Aashiq Abu.

Iyobinte Pusthakam is arguably one of the most meticulously engineered genre hybrids in Indian cinema. It doesn’t just mimic Hollywood; it weaponizes the formal grammar of the Spaghetti Western and transplants it into the misty canopy of the Western Ghats.

The cinematography is just brilliant, Amal Neerad shot the film himself on wide lenses, using natural mist, high-contrast chiaroscuro lighting, and slow-burn pacing to turn the Western Ghats into a mythical, lawless frontier.

Lastly, the most impressive part of the movie, CAST. Like goddamn, this movie has a wide range of main and side characters, wide ensemble. But, each one of the characters, are so meticulously good at playing their character so well, that its almost impossible to not notice how impressive each one does their part. From the British Landlord to Padma Priya, everyone has such a natural yet impressive portrayal of their role. How can anyone forget Jayasuriya's Rawther? I consider Rawther to be one of malayalam cinemas best introduced antagonist. Intimidating and Cynical, and fills the screen with his presence everytime he is on camera. Thats what a 10/10 casting looks like.

Even after so many years, it remains a rare benchmark where unapologetic visual indulgence and literary narrative substance completely elevate one another. A rare specimen of an Indian movie, that I will always go back to.

"Hey black woman, once I turned into a beetle due to the sorrow of not seeing you."

I heard from a friend, who worked in both films (technical side) that, BKU is a solid all-generation guaranteed hit (fun watch), and has potential to bring that pan-Indian craze for NP back, given, the producers are planning to go the premalu routes with ROI. BTW, (light spoiler) 😉 BKU is having some fun-surprise elements, which can make big screen watch a celebration ! Industry hit on the cards, according to him ! (Strong buzz that the team is rejoining for another venture soon)