- Date of Release: 08 May 2025
- Genre: Comedy
- Language: Malayalam
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Padakkalam
Introduction
The title of the new Malayalam film Padakkalam has its representation firstly in the opening act, and later in an unexpected setting. Padakkalam stands for battlefield, and so the brief opening animated sequence does paint a picture about an actual war that transpires between two historical figures. But at the same time, it highlights the importance of an ‘object’ that was protected ever since, just so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. And yet, the typical term of a battlefield finds itself in a unique setting of an engineering college where the rest of the drama unfolds. The brief student protest might give you a rather conventional meaning to the term ‘Padakkalam’ here but that story remains for another day. Here, the story hinges more on a concept that equates itself to a bunch of laughs that stay consistent throughout the narrative. If anything, the word Padakkalam can be termed as an anti-thesis here (tonally speaking), particularly in times of the Indo-Pak war that has resulted in anxiety and trauma. The battlefield here is cerebral, unconventional and outright hilarious backed by a superb concept!
Story & Screenplay
The general setup of an engineering college would usually be equated to slice of life dramas like Chhichhore (2019) or even the morally upbeat comedy like 3 Idiots (2009). But in Padakkalam, it navigates the fantasy genre in a mad-hatter concept that doubles up as a cohesive unit. When you are first introduced to Jithin (Sandeep Pradeep), he is on the verge of a breakup with his girlfriend Jeevika (Niranjana Anoop). He remains unclear about the reason for the same, but you can see that he is heartbroken even while interacting with his friends Ramzad (Arun Pradeep), Nakul (Arun Ajitkumar) and Saafboi (Kannan). On the other hand, you are also introduced to the two professors of the film (a little reference to Money Heist in a totally different context). Renjith (Sharafudheen) remains a crowd favourite with his effervescent charm and his ability to win over the students with his natural flair for resolving issues. Shaji (Suraj Venjaramoodu) remains a more conventional professor, disciplined and wishing that the students focus on lectures as opposed to the student politics. This, until there is a hint dropped on the mysterious antics of Renjith in trying to control the body actions of Shaji, in an incontrollably hilarious sequence. And the first person to discover that is Jithin, ensuring a three-way narrative represented through the logo of the college.
The Malayalam Film Industry has always been privy of acknowledging concepts from the West, and yet adapting it so well as to account for a grounded narrative. The concept of a game within the narrative reminded me of the English film Jumanji (1995), but the writers here take the concept a step ahead while restricting the drama to the current setting. So instead of the drama cutting to an adventurous trip, the setting continues to remain that of an engineering college, even as the game of cat and mouse begins between Jithin (along with his gang) and Renjith. The events might seem to be chaotic but it is the concept of the game that acts as a cohesive unit, something that doubles as a solid structure and foundation to the drama. The smaller skirmishes make way for a hilarious interval block that absolutely hits home with a chaotic depiction of chaos, that would represent the climax of a Priyadarshan film with all characters under one-roof, and no signs of any rules. So even as a character who has till that point been sidelined, appears out of nowhere, you don’t seem to mind it at all, as long as the laughter portion continues to be effective. It is also hilarious that the “game” in itself is referred to as “Ludo”, a game that we all have indulged from time to time, with tiny references to the Mahabharatha. And this is also where the fantasy genre kicks in!
The concept of a body-swap has been explored in many films like Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) or even the more recent Netflix film It’s What’s Inside (2024). And this concept, is expertly hacked into the narrative that completely shifts the flavour of the proceedings while also adding to the chaos. The star attraction in the narrative lies in its confusion given how certain characters start behaving in an unconventional manner simply because they have undergone a body-swap of sorts. It remains a wild concept because it automatically amounts to a comedy even while the writing doesn’t really need to reach out for the gags. And yet, the writing continues to be relentless! To give you a perspective, you see a character wishing to chug a bottle of alcohol citing that it will only affect the body that “isn’t his”. This, while another character starts to feel the effects of alcohol even without consuming it. The concept of a body swap is further enhanced by creating its own set of rules that accounts for the madness in the drama.
There is an afterthought laid out on the emotional core of the characters too, and while they momentarily take you away from the comedy, they don’t interfere with the entertainment quotient of the drama. The sub-plots involving a parallel drawn between ‘two unexciting characters’ across age demographics distinguished by the ability to be loved by others, or even a deathly disease plaguing a certain character, are valuable cogs that take the story ahead. In between, there are umpteen meta-references with films like John Wick (2014) and Dog Day Afternoon (1975) that will bring you back to the central fulcrum of the film, even as a character goes rogue! The idea of a conflict within a conflict coupled with the concept in-hand is what makes this comedy an absolute winner. The title of the film becomes more of a conventional reality in its final act that I would have wished to be fleshed out even more, but it still accounts for some wholesome bouts of fun in a comedy that is enjoyable and hilarious, through and through!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are palpably hilarious and often cut-through the one-tone nature of the setting by complimenting it. In a scene, you see a character uttering the lines of his presentation slide that reads ‘Brain Computer Interface’ (incidently my engineering project also back in the days; yes I am yet another engineer by qualification into movies). That isn’t just used as a filler but a key juncture with respect to the concept of the film that takes the drama forward. In the same scene another character asks, on whether the chip that is inserted in the brain of the patient, be manipulated in a way to control his actions. It was a meta-reference on the movie itself while evoking a sense of laughter along the way. The music and the BGM are superb while elevating the impact of several scenes along the way. The notes are complimentary with the hilarious concept that the film has to offer. The cinematography comprises of frames that seem basic with respect to the character exploration but wonderful with respect to the concept of the game. The VFX remains top-notch with respect to the budget of the film, and that enhances the quality of the frames in a large manner. The editing is crisp while keeping the length of the film in check. I also noticed on how quick the scene transitions were in the drama, almost like a reel-induced cut that actually complimented the storytelling wonderfully. Director Manu Swaraj decides to hinge his story on a central ‘mad-hatter’ concept and he pulls it through in style. There was a lot of conviction in his filmmaking that invariably hit the sweet spot as far as the comedy was concerned. While the characterization remained basic, it worked in the film’s favour because the filmmaker chose to remain committed to its concept without much distractions. The drama was designed to be enjoyable, and the director delivered exactly that, and in some style! Top notch stuff!
Performances
The performances are excellent by the members of the cast. Vijay Babu as the doctor does leave a mark despite a limited screentime. Ishan Shoukath as Lijo has his moments to shine as the ‘third-wheel’ in the Jithin-Jeevika love story. His antics are relatable to that ‘one-friend’ whom you would be jealous of while being in a relationship😂🙈. Pooja Mohanraj as Shobha is restrained and brings some much needed stability to the otherwise chaotic drama. And that speaks volumes of her range as a performer wherein she could be the contributing factor to the madness in a film like Aavesham (2024), and then balance it out with a restrained performance like the one in this film. Niranjana Anoop as Jeevika has a pleasant screen presence and she does manage to hold her own! Arun Ajitkumar as Nakul, Saafboi as Kannan and Arun Pradeep as Ramzad are absolutely hilarious, and contribute generously to several funny moments in the drama with each other bringing a different flavour to the narrative.
Because the film caters to a body-swap concept, each of the three actors Sharafudheen, Suraj Venjaramoodu and Sandeep Pradeep get to play two contrasting characters. While Suraj Venjaramoodu as Shaji is slightly missing in the first hour, he stamps his authority with his mad-hatter antics in the second hour with a child-like presence catering to the Gen-Zs. And Suraj is phenomenal to witness here. For Sandeep Pradeep as Jithin, the arc is an anti-thesis. He is naive and vulnerable to begin with and an alpha-male later on. And both these traits were aced by him. Sharafudheen as Renjith is outstanding to the core with a mysterious presence in the first hour to a more restrained yet rogue trait in the second hour. He absolutely nails his performance here in a thoroughly enjoyable outing. It would be a dream for most actors to pull-off ‘twin’ drastically different roles in a film, and all three supremely talented actors hit it out of the park.
Conclusion
Padakkalam boasts of a brilliant concept packaged in a mad-hatter fantasy-comedy that is hilarious to the core, thereby making it a wildly chaotic watch. Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended!
