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Time of India
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Padakkalam OTT Release Date: When and where to watch Suraj Venjaramoodu & Sharaf U Dheen's fantasy film online
Padakkalam OTT Release Date: Get ready to enter a world where reality bends, professors swap bodies, and ancient board games unleash chaos. Padakkalam, the latest Malayalam fantasy caper, is all set to make its digital debut on JioHotstar starting June 10, 2025. After a low-key theatrical run in early May, this surreal comedy-drama is finding a second life on streaming. When the chalkboard turns into a battleground At first glance, Padakkalam looks like your average campus drama: two professors, one chair, and a college full of students who'd rather gossip than attend lectures. But beneath that seemingly grounded setting lies a wild, almost cartoonish narrative twist: body-swapping sorcery. Ranjith and Shaji, both professors at a college that doesn't seem to have HR protocols, are vying for the head-of-department post. While students naturally side with the affable Ranjith, the job goes to Shaji. Things take a turn for the bizarre when Shaji, now HOD, starts behaving erratically like… unsettlingly strange. He's not the man they knew. Turns out, he quite literally isn't. Enter Jithin, a student who notices the sudden personality change. And through a bit of snooping, a few skipped lectures, and a stolen board game, he uncovers the truth: Ranjith has used black magic, courtesy of an ancient Pachisi set, to switch bodies with Shaji. As absurd as it sounds, the tone of the film embraces it with full conviction. Once Jithin and his gang of misfit friends get their hands on the mystical board game, they set in motion a series of mishaps that spiral out of control, turning their sleepy college into a chaotic playground for the supernatural. What follows is a frantic attempt to reverse the curse, put people back in their rightful bodies, and restore sanity before final exams and reputations go up in smoke. A cast that carries the crazy Suraj Venjaramoodu plays Ranjith with Sharaf U Dheen as the unfortunate Shaji. Niranjana Anoop plays a student caught between chaos and curiosity. The supporting roles, especially Sandeep Pradeep (from Falimy), Arun Ajikumar, and the Saaf Bros, provide comic relief that doesn't feel forced. Directed by Manu Swaraj and co-written by Swaraj and Nithin C Babu, Padakkalam leans hard into the absurd. This Rajesh Murugesan musical is cinematographed by Anu Moothedath and edited by Nidhin Raj Arol.
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Padakkalam movie review: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sharaf U Dheen's fantasy comedy proves that an intriguing plot alone doesn't make a good film
Padakkalam movie review: Malayalees aren't alien to the concept of Parakaya Pravesha (the act of entering another person's body with one's consciousness) and other similar dark fantasy horror elements, thanks to cinematographer-director Santosh Sivan's acclaimed film Anandabhadram (2005). Hence, filmmakers who wish to explore such themes in Malayalam don't have to spend much time explaining the concepts and can immediately enter their narrative after a small and basic introduction that might help refresh people's memories. That means the makers of such a movie get almost 80-90 per cent of the film's runtime to tell their story without having to rack their brains over how to ensure clarity. Despite having such favourable conditions, if you are unable to craft a movie with at least intriguing moments, whose fault is it? The predicament debutant director Manu Swaraj's Padakkalam, starring Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sharaf U Dheen and Sandeep Pradeep, ends up in is pretty much the same. Don't Miss | Sarkeet movie review: Asif Ali, Orhan elevate Thamar KV film Although both Shaji (Suraj) and Ranjith (Sharaf) eye the chair of the HOD in their college, the students are all in support of the latter since he shares a 'warm' rapport with them. However, as Shaji is the eligible one, the position 'naturally' goes to him, but only for a few minutes, as the other staff members soon notice some abnormalities in his behaviour, and he is forced to go on leave. In the meantime, one of their students, Jithin (Sandeep Pradeep), finds out the real reason behind Shaji's peculiar behaviour and realises that Ranjith had a hand in it and that he is well-versed in black magic. Although he explains it to his friends Ramzad (Arun Pradeep), Kannan (Saaf) and Nakul (Arun Ajikumar), they are hesitant to believe at first, but soon they also start noticing Ranjith's idiosyncrasies and come to the conclusion that he knows Parakaya Niyantrana (the act of gaining control over another person's body). They also find out that the source of his black magic powers is his Pachisi set. Under the suspicion that he could be planning bigger things with it, the four students decide to steal and destroy the set. However, once they get hold of the set, their lives turn upside down as Ranjith takes control of Jithin's body too. Meanwhile, things escalate once Shaji returns to avenge the mishappenings in his life caused by Ranjith. At one crucial juncture, they all end up committing a massive blunder, which pushes them into bigger troubles. The remainder of the movie follows their attempts to unlock the tangle. Despite having a fascinating plot, Padakkalam is let down completely by aimless writing. Although the movie establishes its setting and central characters well in the first act and piques the interest of the audience with the introduction of fantasy elements, the script, penned jointly by Manu and Nithin C Babu, takes a massive nosedive after a point. Regardless of occasionally showing slight hints of a possible comeback, Padakkalam never truly rises to its potential. Barring a few jokes that mostly land due to the actors' delivery and their on-screen chemistry, which has worked out decently well, the movie ends up being a series of missed opportunities. And yes, the core idea and plot had potential, and there are at least a handful of moments where you can sense it, making you feel that it could have been something special if developed or executed well. Nevertheless, the writers never manage to leverage such instances, and most of the moments end up being undercooked. Although the character of Jeevika (Niranjana Anoop) appears occasionally, she never becomes more than Jithin's estranged girlfriend. Shaji's wife, Shobha (Pooja Mohanraj), on the other hand, showed promise to become a substantial character, but is largely ignored by the makers. Regardless, the movie is kept afloat by the decent performances of the actors, particularly Suraj Venjaramoodu and Sharaf U Dheen, who showcase their comedic strengths and strike silver (yes, only silver) now and then. Suraj's attempts at physical comedy, with particular focus on facial expressions, reminiscent of his iconic characters such as Dasamoolam Damu in Chattambinadu (2009), do amuse, but they never reach lofty heights owing to the inherent lack of humour in the writing. Sharaf's portrayal of the witty schemer Ranjith is also commendable. Bizarrely, in my opinion, Sandeep's performance as Ranjith (after the Parakaya Pravesha) came across as sharper than his portrayal of Jithin. Arun Pradeep, Saaf and Arun Ajikumar also do their parts well, adding some essence to an otherwise flavourless dish that is Padakkalam. The sudden entry of the iconic track 'Kalikkalam Ithu Kalikkalam' from the classic Malayalam comedy Ramji Rao Speaking (1989) as background score also offers some respite whenever it appears. Anu Moothedath's cinematography, Nidhin Raj Arol's editing and Rajesh Murugesan's music also help elevate the movie, compensating a bit for its many other shortcomings. Padakkalam movie cast: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sharaf U Dheen, Sandeep Pradeep, Arun Pradeep, Saaf, Arun Ajikumar Padakkalam movie director: Manu Swaraj Padakkalam movie rating: 1.5 stars Anandu Suresh is a Senior sub-editor at Indian Express Online. He specialises in Malayalam cinema, but doesn't limit himself to it and explores various aspects of the art form. He also pens a column titled Cinema Anatomy, where he delves extensively into the diverse layers and dimensions of cinema, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourse. Anandu previously worked with The New Indian Express' news desk in Hyderabad, Telangana. You can follow him on Twitter @anandu_suresh_ and write (or send movie recommendations) to him at ... Read More
The Hindu
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Bison': Mari Selvaraj's film with Dhruv Vikram gets a release date
Bison, filmmaker Mari Selvaraj's upcoming film with actor Dhruv Vikram, will release in theatres on October 17 during Deepavali, the makers announced on Saturday (May 3). Ace filmmaker-producer Pa Ranjith, who is producing the film under his Neelam Studios banner, unveiled a special poster to announce the news. 'This film is raw, real, and made with so much love. It's a story that's close to both our hearts,' wrote Ranjith. Mari, meanwhile, shared the poster on his X handle and called it 'a film of perseverance, determination and survival.' தீப்பிடித்து எரியும் வனத்திற்குள்ளிருந்து தீப்பிழம்பாய் தீபாவளிக்கு வருகிறான் தெக்கத்தி காளமாடன் (பைசன் ) 🧨🦬🧨 A film for the festive season! A film for Celebrations! Bison is arriving with a Blast! Hitting the screens this October 17th during Diwali! 💥 A film of… — Mari Selvaraj (@mari_selvaraj) May 3, 2025 The film, billed as a sports drama, stars Rajisha Vijayan and Anupama Parameshwaran as the female leads. Plot details remain unknown, but some earlier reports had suggested that Bison is based on the real-life story of Kabaddi player Manathi Ganesan. However, the makers are yet to confirm this. An earlier statement from the makers had described the film as a Kabaddi-based sports drama that tells 'a tale of guts, grit and glory in the life of a young man where the whole world was a Goliath to his David. A story of a man who defied the lines on his hand to achieve what no one thought possible, to choose sport over a gun, peace over violence and life over death.' Shot in Tirunelveli and Chennai, the cast of Bison features Lal, Pasupathy, Kalaiyarasan, Azhagam Perumal and Hari Krishnan. With music scored by Nivas K Prasanna, the film has cinematography by Ezhil Arasu K and editing by Sakthi Thiru. Bison is produced by Ranjith, Aditi Anand, Sameer Nair and Deepak Segal under their Neelam Studios banner, in association with Applause Entertainment. Dhruv, who is also the son of popular Tamil star Vikram, debuted with Adithya Varma (2019), a remake of the Telugu blockbuster Arjun Reddy. He later starred opposite Vikram in Mahaan, directed by Karthik Subbaraj. Varmaa, the first version of the Arjun Reddy remake, directed by Bala, had a direct-to-OTT release. Mari Selvaraj's last film was Vaazhai, a film that chronicled the story of a boy's lost childhood. The hard-hitting film starred in Nikhila Vimal, Kalaiyarasan, Ponvel M, Rahul R and Divya Duraisamy.
The Star
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Sri Lanka recalls Pope Francis compassion on Easter bombing anniversary
A Catholic woman prays in front of a portrait of Pope Francis at a church in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. - AP COLOMBO: Sri Lankan Catholics offered prayers for Pope Francis on Monday (April 21), the sixth anniversary of the Easter bombings that killed 279 people, recalling his "deep empathy" for the victims. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said the pontiff had met with a 41-member delegation of survivors at the Vatican three years ago, comforting each one individually and pledging continued support to ensure justice. "The Holy Father deviated from a prepared text to urge the Sri Lankan government to ensure a transparent investigation," Ranjith said during a commemorative service for the victims at St Sebastian's Church. Shortly before the pope's death was announced, Ranjith told another commemorative service in the capital Colombo that the Vatican had recognised 167 Catholics killed in the Easter attacks as "Witnesses of the Faith". The move, which followed a process that began a year ago, places the Catholic victims on a path to possible sainthood. "The purpose of this is to propagate and preserve the memory of the witness in perpetuity," Ranjith said. St Sebastian's Church in Katuwapitiya, a village north of Colombo, was the worst affected by the coordinated suicide bombings. Ranjith read out the names of 116 victims at the St Sebastian shrine and 41 others at St Anthony's Church who were honoured by the Vatican. He said the pontiff had shed tears when shown a video of the aftermath of the April 21, 2019 bombings. "I saw the tears in the Holy Father's eyes," Ranjith said. "He had deep empathy for the victims." Several investigations into the bombings - which targeted three churches and three hotels - concluded that the attacks were carried out by homegrown jihadists who claimed affiliation with the Islamic State group. However, the Church has accused successive governments of protecting those behind the attacks, and several high-level investigations have identified links between military intelligence units and the bombers. - AFP
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sri Lanka recalls Pope Francis' compassion on Easter bombing anniversary
Sri Lankan Catholics offered prayers for Pope Francis on Monday, the sixth anniversary of the Easter bombings that killed 279 people, recalling his "deep empathy" for the victims. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said the pontiff had met with a 41-member delegation of survivors at the Vatican three years ago, comforting each one individually and pledging continued support to ensure justice. "The Holy Father deviated from a prepared text to urge the Sri Lankan government to ensure a transparent investigation," Ranjith said during a commemorative service for the victims at St Sebastian's Church. Shortly before the pope's death was announced, Ranjith told another commemorative service in the capital Colombo that the Vatican had recognised 167 Catholics killed in the Easter attacks as "Witnesses of the Faith". The move, which followed a process that began a year ago, places the Catholic victims on a path to possible sainthood. "The purpose of this is to propagate and preserve the memory of the witness in perpetuity," Ranjith said. St Sebastian's Church in Katuwapitiya, a village north of Colombo, was the worst affected by the coordinated suicide bombings. Ranjith read out the names of 116 victims at the St Sebastian shrine and 41 others at St Anthony's Church who were honoured by the Vatican. He said the pontiff had shed tears when shown a video of the aftermath of the April 21, 2019 bombings. "I saw the tears in the Holy Father's eyes," Ranjith said. "He had deep empathy for the victims." Several investigations into the bombings -- which targeted three churches and three hotels -- concluded that the attacks were carried out by homegrown jihadists who claimed affiliation with the Islamic State group. However, the Church has accused successive governments of protecting those behind the attacks, and several high-level investigations have identified links between military intelligence units and the bombers. aj/pjm/dhw
