Latest news with #Maranamass
New Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Basil Joseph Interview: We knew Maranamass would divide opinions
Basil Joseph is currently the man for all seasons in Malayalam cinema. Whether behind the camera or in front of it, he has consistently demonstrated a sharp instinct for engaging audiences. After establishing himself as a director with hits like Kunjiramayanam, Godha, and the game-changing Minnal Murali, he has also steadily grown into one of the industry's most dependable actors. The latest film to showcase his flair for blending wild and unpredictable humour with surprising emotional depth was Maranamass. As Maranamass premieres on SonyLIV today, Basil discusses playing Luke PP, his dynamic with director Sivaprasad, his evolution as an actor, and more. 'We're currently working on my next directorial, and I hope to begin shooting next year," says Basil when asked about his much-awaited return to direction. Even while asserting that it won't be a Malayalam film, Basil remains tight-lipped about whether it will be the much-hyped Ranveer Singh project. Excerpts:
News18
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Maranamass OTT Release: When And Where To Stream The Malayalam Dark Comedy
Malayalam dark comedy Maranamass has made its debut on OTT platforms. Sivaprasad's debut directorial is now available on SonyLIV and OTTplay Premium in various languages, including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi. The genre-bending dark comedy thriller features Basil Joseph in the lead along with Anishma Anilkumar, Babu Antony, Rajesh Madhavan, and Suresh Krishna in prominent roles. The film is a blend of dark humour and crime, offering a fresh take on the serial killer genre. Maranamass was released in the theatres on April 10. The plot of Maranamass revolves around Luke, a local troublemaker who is suspected as a serial killer after a series of murders in Kerala. The story takes an unexpected turn in a fateful bus journey when the killer, his target, a woman, her boyfriend, and other people find themselves in the same vehicle. The bus journey follows a gripping and unexpected set of events, promising to leave the viewers stunned as the film reaches its climax.
India Today
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Maranamass director discusses crafting unconventional dark comedy with Basil Joseph
Malayalam director Sivaprasad made his commercial cinema debut with the 2025 film 'Maranamass', produced by Tovino Thomas. The dark comedy thriller stood out for its unconventional storytelling. In a candid chat with the debutant director opened up about how his latest Malayalam film - featuring Basil Joseph and an ensemble cast - came to previously worked on emotionally intense, genre-bound projects, he revealed that he had been waiting for something distinctly different."I had worked in different genres before my debut, but most of them were serious or emotionally driven. So, I couldn't find the right fit for a conventional film in the Malayalam industry. I was waiting for something unique, something offbeat. That's when Siju (Sunny), also the writer of the film, approached me with the core idea of Maranamass," the director further added that the idea was so compelling that it naturally led him to collaborate with actor-producer Tovino Thomas.'When Tovino and I started discussing the script and potential casting, Basil Joseph's name came up. We weren't sure if he'd agree, but he came on board and it turned out to be one of our best decisions,' he said, praising Basil's unique comic timing. Watch the trailer of 'Maranamass' here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sony LIV (@sonylivindia)Sivaprasad, acclaimed for multiple short films, continued, 'He brings a different wavelength of humour, and we were clear from the start that this wasn't a hero-centric film. It's an ensemble story where each character is equally important.'advertisement"That's what excited me - the idea itself demanded such characters," he director initially envisioned the film as a dark genre piece, but as it developed, it took on a more experimental tone. 'It started as a dark comedy, but eventually, the film became a mix of genres with tonal shifts, especially in the second half,' he about the cast, which includes Suresh Krishna, Rajesh Madhavan, Anishma, and others, the filmmaker expressed gratitude for the team's chemistry. "All the actors had a great sense of humour, which made a big difference. Their input was vital in shaping the comedic tone," he said. "Each character carried a thread of dark humour (laughs), which really worked in the film's favour, and helped me pull it off."He also confirmed that casting Siju in the film was his own decision. "He had experience in similar roles, and I knew he could bring the right energy," he said excitedly.'Maranamass' hit theatres on April 10. India Today reviewed the film, saying, "It tries to end on a high. However, due to one-too-many subplots, the viewers tend to get tired by the time they reach the climax, which is set in a dumpyard. Even there, you get a handful of funny moments. Not just Basil and JK, even Anshima's performance in that particular sequence adds to the hilarious quotient of the film."'Maranamass' is currently streaming on SonyLIV.
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Maranamass' director Sivaprasad: The film is told from an experimental, quirky perspective
Maranamass is chaotically funny with its motley crew of characters and over-the-top exaggerated situations, co-written by debutant director Sivaprasad and actor Siju Sunny. The movie is cleverly written, witty and funny without once crossing the line into slapstick territory. Sivaprasad is known for his brand of quirky TVCs, especially the promo featuring actor Shakeela for the Netflix series, Sex Education. Headlined by Basil Joseph, and starring Suresh Krishna, Prashant Alexander, and Siju Sunny, the film recently dropped on SonyLiv. Here he talks about making the film, creating the characters and his plans. How did the collaboration with Siju Sunny on the script happen? We have known each other for a long time and we have worked together. We talk about stories and scripts, this one was born out of a core idea suggested by Siju. I liked the basic idea and felt that it could be developed into a one line for the script and a movie, of course. What was the idea? Was it the serial killer thread? No, not that. But what happens when a girl uses pepper spray against a man who harasses her in a bus and ends up killing him with it. We populated it with a bunch of 'characters' with their own back stories and created situations around them. Were the lines and situations already in the script or were they improvised on the set? Some of the lines sound way too hilarious to be written beforehand. Everything is in the script — the situations and the dialogues. But then the actors have improvised on the set, bringing in their individual flavour. The casting is on point. Did you have an actor or actors in mind when you were scripting? I cannot say we had a particular actor in mind; casting was not fixed initially. Rajesh Madhavan was the only actor who we had decided upon earlier. We explored our options and decided on the actors afterwards. I am very interested in the casting aspect, I did the casting for Minnal Murali; I was assistant director for the film. Casting actors is an interesting process for I believe if you get it [casting] right then half the work is done. The faces of the actors have to fit the characters, support it and if people can connect both then it is perfect. For example Babu Antony had to essay the character of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ajay Ramachandran. Nobody else would have been able to pull it off, especially not a comedian. I have worked with Basil, Rajesh [Madhavan] is a friend and I have also worked with him. Basil's look in the film is very different from what we have ever seen of him. How did that come about? We worked on the look of all the characters, we wanted Basil's to be very different from how we have seen him. So it is a bit of Gen Z, cross references with other films etc…because the genre of the film is such that we wanted the look to have a caricature-like, over-the-top look which is different. How did Tovino Thomas come into the picture, as a producer? (Laughs) It was literally a 4am thought! Once the one line was ready, for some reason I thought of Tovino. He has a great sense of humour, for one. It was, perhaps, why I thought of him. I thought 'maybe he has plans to produce a film'. I texted him, he said he would get back to me…he liked what he read and he was in. Everything happened very quickly. Did you expect this reaction to the film, which is different from what we usually see? The film is told from an experimental perspective — as are the story and the treatment. But I was confident. My short films and ad films have been this kind — quirky characters and quirky situations — they have gained acceptance. Like the ad for Netflix [a sketch with actor Shakeela promoting the final season of the series Sex Education] which was very different, and it did well. So I was confident the film would work out. This is done and dusted. What next? The writing is on…I want to try as many different genres. Let's see… Maranamass is streaming on SonyLiv
Pink Villa
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Maranamass Ending Explained: How did Basil Joseph's black comedy film conclude after chaotic events?
Maranamass, starring Basil Joseph, had hit the big screens on April 10, 2025. The black comedy spoof film is now available for streaming on SonyLIV a month after its theatrical release. The story of the Basil Joseph starrer starts off with the state of Kerala being under the fear of a serial murderer known as the Banana Killer. The man is known to vanquish old men and stuff a banana inside their mouth after killing them. Amid fear, police officers suspect that the killer is a young man called Luke PP. The man is infamous in his area due to his troublesome nature, even going as far as trying to sell the local police station online. Amidst these happenings, his girlfriend Jessy dumps him. On the other hand, it is revealed that SK, a government employee, is the actual Banana Killer who is eyeing his final target, Keshava Kuruppu, a perverted old man. In a twist of various chaotic events, Kuruppu and SK inadvertently come together and board a bus. In the same bus, Jessy also walks in with two more characters - Jikku, the bus driver and Aruvi, a conductor. As the film moves ahead, Kuruppu misbehaves with Jessy, prompting her to use pepper spray on him, and the old man dies. Now, SK, who lost his chance at killing his prey, offers to help dispose of the body. However, things turn sour when Luke intercepts the bus to confront Jessy and finds himself in the middle of the whole conundrum. Suspicious of SK, Luke agrees to help Jessy out and offers to dispose of the body inside a diver's (Tovino Thomas) grave, whose funeral happened on that day. Spoiler Alert: Here's how Maranamass ends Maranamass continues the tale of finding a way to dispose of the body, only to soon realize SK is the actual killer. However, with the body getting out of their hands, Luke comes to his senses after getting high and accidentally puts his jacket on the dead. While everything seems to go out of their hands, the townsfolk coincidentally find out SK is the Banana Killer. Later on, it is revealed that he had killed the old men who were once friends with his father. Once, when they were living together, the victims had placed rat poison in the banana where they stayed. Unaware of the poison, SK's dad ate it and died. Later on, his mother committed suicide, leading SK to seek revenge.
