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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
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘Maranamass' OTT release: When and where to watch Basil Joseph's comedy film
's latest dark comedy ' Maranamass ' has made a surprise early debut on OTT. The film is now available for streaming on OTT a day ahead of the expected release date. Fans can enjoy this genre-bending thriller in Malayalam, along with dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A dark comedy with a killer twist 'Maranamass' marks the directorial debut of , who also co-wrote the screenplay with Siju Sunny. Set against the backdrop of a city terrorized by a serial killer, the story takes a wild turn when the murderer, his target, a young woman, her lover, and others all find themselves on the same night bus. What follows is a gripping, bizarre chain of events filled with unexpected twists and a climax that promises to leave viewers stunned. Maranamass | Song - Massmarikam Stellar performances in an offbeat narrative The film stars Basil Joseph in the lead role, supported by a strong ensemble cast including Anishma Anilkumar, Rajesh Madhavan, Babu Antony, Suresh Krishna, and Siju Sunny. With its mix of dark humor, crime, and psychological tension, Where and how to watch Maranamass is now streaming on SonyLIV and OTTplay Premium. Viewers across India can watch the film in their preferred language, making it widely accessible to fans of thrillers and dark comedies alike. Want to watch 'Maranamass'? Just take a look at what netizens are saying about the movie. One Twitter user wrote, 'A decent dark comedy that delivers just enough no more, no less. Definitely not everyone's cup of tea.' Another Twitter user wrote, 'Interesting plot. Gud Perf frm Basil, Siju & Anishma. Show stealers r RajeshMadhavan & SureshKrishna. Takes a while to get into the main conflict, from then its a hilarious ride till end. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Baring few lags, its a WATCHABLE Black Comedy film!.' A third review reads, '#Maranamass is a fun and crazy comedy that mixes the confusion of Nunakkuzhi and the relatable fun of Vaazha. The movie follows a funny internet star, Luke, and a serial killer story that keeps you guessing. Basil Joseph shines as Luke, and the film gives importance to every character.'
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Maranamass OTT Release Date: When and where to watch Basil Joseph & Anishma Anilkumar's Malayalam film online
Maranamass OTT Release Date: Basil Joseph recently headlined this Malayalam dark comedy, which opened to positive reviews in theatres. Released worldwide on 10th April, the film earned Rs 18.54 crore at the box office. The thriller is now ready to live a second life on OTT. As per OTTPlay, Maranamass will be streaming on SonyLIV starting May 15, 2025. Maranamass' cast and crew Written and directed by Sivaprasad in his directorial debut, Maranamass is bankrolled under Tovino Thomas Productions, Rapheal Productions and Worldwide Films. Other than Basil, the movie also stars Rajesh Madhavan, Siju Sunny, Babu Antony, Suresh Krishna, Anishma Anilkumar, Pooja Mohanraj, Joemon Jyothir, Puliyanam Poulose, Dheeraj Denny and Prashant Alex among others. Maranamass' plot overview In Vallikkunnu, a serial killer known as the 'Banana Killer' has been targeting elderly residents. Luke PP (Basil Joseph), a mischievous and eccentric young man, becomes a suspect due to his erratic behaviour. His ex-girlfriend, Jessie (Anishma Anilkumar), had ended their relationship because of his antics. One night, Luke boards a bus with Jessie, the bus driver Jikku (Suresh Krishna), the conductor Aruvi (Siju Sunny), a mysterious silent passenger, and a dead body. As the journey progresses, the group becomes entangled in a series of bizarre and darkly comedic events. The confined space of the bus amplifies the tension and absurdity, leading to unexpected confrontations and revelations. A Google review of Maranamass read, 'Watched Maranamass, and what a laugh riot it was! Absolutely hilarious! Not sure if I caught all the references, but the ones I did were brilliantly done. If you're a cinephile and active on social media, you'll likely catch most of them. Logic has no place in the realm of a spoof, so if you walk in with that mindset, this movie will not disappoint. A solid 5/5 movie.'
