Latest news with #Renjith
Pink Villa
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Padakkalam Ending Explained: Were Shaji, Renjith and Jithin able to swap back to their original bodies without any fuss?
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Padakkalam starring Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sharaf U Dheen, and Sandeep Pradeep is currently available for streaming on JioHotstar. With the fantasy comedy entertainer becoming a massive success, did you miss out on the final details of the film? The supernatural entertainer, directed by debutant Manu Swaraj, features the story of four nerdy college students and comic book enthusiasts. The film starts with everyone having their college life as usual, two professors, Shaji and Renjith, are eyeing the Head of Department (HOD) post. Shaji (played by Suraj Venjaramoodu) is an average professor with his own life problems. On the other hand, Renjith is a beloved person among students. Even though this may be true, Renjith is also believed to be the user of an ancient dice game (pakida) which helps him to swap bodies with people he chooses. To ensure his appointment as the HOD, he uses his powers to swap with Shaji and ruin his professional life for good. All seems to be going well when Jithin (Sandeep Pradeep) and the rest of his gang start to suspect these mysterious happenings, with Renjith pulling Jithin into the game as well. Spoiler Alert Padakkalam progresses into more chaos and humor when Shaji, Renjith, and Jithin accidentally swap their bodies with each other. Now, Shaji is trapped inside Renjith's body, Renjith inside Jithin's, and Jithin inside Shaji's. Initially, Shaji (now Renjith) enjoys his life inside the new body, being treated with respect and love as the HOD. On the other end, Jithin (now Shaji) is flustered and Renjith (now Jithin) is continuing his evil ways with a younger body. Soon enough, Shaji's estranged wife comes back into his life, announcing she's pregnant, which motivates him to return to his body. Now, Shaji and Jithin must force Renjith to give up the body he inhabits by playing the dice game once again. As the showdown is set to happen, massive chaos erupts among them, with everyone returning to their own bodies, minutes before Renjith falls off a balcony and gets severely injured. Watch Padakkalam trailer In a final note, the movie ends with the hospital indicating Renjith has escaped from their care, teasing a sequel to the film.
Pink Villa
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Padakkalam Movie Review: Suraj and Sharaf U Dheen starrer is oddball comedy that is imperfect but fun to watch
Padakkalam is a fantasy comedy entertainer that was released in theaters on May 8, 2025. The commercially successful venture is now finally available for streaming on JioHotstar. If you're someone who enjoys the blend of supernatural elements and humor, here's the Pinkvilla review for you to read. The Plot Padakkalam features the story of four comic-book nerds in a fictitious college in Kerala. In their daily lives, they encounter two professors, Renjith and Shafi, who are both vying for a promotion to become the Head of Department (HOD). However, suspicious events occur, with Shafi acting strangely, and Renjith is suspected of being behind them. The nerds discover that the man uses an ancient power that resides within a dice game (Pakida), which is how the body swap is occurring. What happens to the nerds after they discover the truth, and whether they catch Renjith red-handed, sets up the rest of the film. The Good Starting off strong, Padakkalam is easily one of the most fun and comical movies to come out of Malayalam cinema in recent times. Debutant Manu Swaraj, who has co-written the screenplay, balances the elements of supernatural fantasy with humor with ease. Despite being a first-timer, the director demonstrates a level of prominence as a seasoned filmmaker who has successfully blended such rare genres in Malayalam. While the story does have its plot holes, the narration makes up for it and offers an entertaining watch. The movie takes us through a simple set-up with the core cast making us laugh out loud at various points. The main actors, such as Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sharaf U Dheen, and Sandeep Pradeep, are the headliners who steal the show with their acting. While such aspects stand strong, Premam fame Rajesh Murugesan offers a refreshing and fun album of tracks that somewhat become the identity of the film. For anyone who pays attention to such details, the songs will be an earworm that you can listen to and enjoy. The editing by Nidhin Raj Arol is laudable, considering the film's runtime is just under 2 hours, which keeps it engaging as best as possible. The Bad Padakkalam is surely a breezy watch to enjoy in you're free time, but it does have its flaws as well. While the narration is strong, an average person in the audience would question why a professor with such ancient powers limits his aspirations to becoming a mere Head of Department at a college. Moreover, another question that arises is the use of female characters when there is no apparent purpose or motive behind their inclusion. The film primarily focuses on the leading male characters and women, often for comedic gags that could have been avoided. Similar to Aavesham or Romancham, the inclusion of women characters that serve no purpose could have been omitted, and the narrative kept simple with the actors who are actually needed. However, such aspects could be considered a matter of artistic integrity for the writers, but from a technical standpoint, the cinematography needed refinement. The Performances In the film, Suraj and Sharaf U Dheen become the senior actors to the rest of the ensemble cast. Acknowledging that, both of them did a lot of heavy lifting with their characters. Especially for anyone who grew up watching Suraj in comical roles, this would serve as a minor look back into his popular mannerisms that many still love and hold nostalgic. Apart from them, Sandeep Pradeep holds a strong presence, displaying skills that could make him the next big thing in Malayalam cinema. Moreover, actors like Saaf and Arun Pradeep, among others, who are well-known for their social media presence, offer quite a few memorable moments. Watch Padakkalam trailer The Verdict Padakkalam is not suitable for every kind of audience, nor is it a perfect venture without flaws. However, the negatives of the movie are what make it organic and fun to watch. If you want to watch a filmmaker's honest attempt at blending fantasy and humor, then surely don't miss out on this one.
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Pirated version of Malayalam movie Thudarum played on tourist bus
The visuals of a suspected pirated version of the super-hit Malayalam movie Thudarum, starring actor Mohanlal, being played on a tourist bus emerged on Monday (May 5, 2025). The illegal copy has popped up at a time when the movie is continuing its successful-run across cinemas in Kerala and outside. M. Renjith, producer, said on Monday that he would file a complaint before the cyber wing of the Kerala Police. Mr. Renjith said that the pirated version was reportedly played on a tourist bus holding service from Wagamon. A person who had seen it from outside took the video of the movie being played on the bus and forwarded it to actor Binu Pappu, who played a key role in the movie, he said. 'From preliminary inference, we understand that a person on the bus had the pirated version and it was played on the screen installed in the vehicle. There were over 20 persons travelling on the bus,' he said. Mr. Renjith urged the authorities to step up action against movie piracy as it remained a major threat to the industry, which contributed to the exchequer in the form of entertainment tax and goods and services tax on movie tickets. He said that a sustained action was required to curb the menace.
