''Nizhal'' () is a 2021 Indian
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
-language
mystery
Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
*Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange''
Films
* ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film
* ''Mystery'' ( ...
thriller
Thriller may refer to:
* Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television
** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre
Comics
* ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
film directed by Appu N. Bhattathiri in his debut and written by S. Sanjeev. It stars
Kunchacko Boban
Kunchacko Boban (born 2 November 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer. Sometimes referred to as Chackochan, he works in the Malayalam film industry and has acted in more than 90 films in more than two decades. He is a member of the List ...
and
Nayanthara
Diana Mariam Kurian, known professionally as
Nayanthara, is an Indian actress and film producer who is known for her work in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. She was in the ''Forbes India'' "Celebrity 100" 2018 list, with her total annual ...
. It also features
Izin Hash,
Rony David
Dr.Rony David is an Indian actor who appears in Malayalam cinema, mainly in supporting roles. He made his debut in the 2007 film ''Chocolate''. He is also a physician who practiced at KIMS Hospital before foraying into acting. He got a breakthr ...
,
Saiju Kurup and
Divya Prabha
Divya Prabha (born 18 May 1991) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Malayalam and Tamil-language films. She gained wider attention for her roles in the films '' Take Off'' and ''Thamaasha''.
In 2015, she won Kerala State Televisi ...
in supporting roles. Appu N. Bhattathiri with Arunlal S. P. edited the film while Deepak D. Menon handled the cinematography.
Sooraj S. Kurup composed the original songs and
background score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...
.
The film is produced by Anto Joseph Film Company and Melange Film House in association with Tentpole Movies.
Boban plays the role of a
first-class Judicial Magistrate.
Plot
The film starts with a rain scene where John Baby, a
magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
getting into a
car accident. After being discharged, he is told to temporarily wear a protective face mask until his nose is stable for it to get better. As he resumes his life as a
first-class Judicial Magistrate, strange things start to happen as he hallucinates, probably from the accident. On the other hand, his friend Shalini, a
child psychologist
Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult development, ...
, approaches him with the case of her patient. Nitin, an eight year old
schoolboy
A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution.
In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementary ...
, shares with his class a murder story. This strikes Baby's interest and he, along with Shalini visits the boy's mother, Sharmila, in order to talk to the boy. Hostile at first, she lets them as he says that the case should have been reported to the Police. The boy appears energetic and normal like any other child. Baby decides to search the place mentioned in the boy's story with the help of the Police and finds a human skull submerged in a pond.
Following the investigation, Baby gets close to Nitin and Sharmila. Nitin tells another story and Baby follows the lead and finds out that it is another actual crime. In order to find the source of these stories, Sharmila, Baby and Nitin travel to the house of a person who kept some of her late investigator husband, Sachin's case files. That night when Baby gets disturbing visions again, he walks to Sharmila and Nitin's room only to discover that it was Sharmila who was telling the boy stories of murder in her sleep. After rushing back home, leaving them behind, to share this discovery to Shalini and her husband. Baby reveals this fact to Sharmila after she returns. He questions her about her mother to find any connection, to her annoyance. Finally, they meet Viswanathan, the man who took care of Sharmila after her mother's untimely demise. Vishwanathan faints upon recognising her. At the hospital he reveals that Sharmila's mother was his love interest; however he did not marry her due to her only being recently widowed. He also confesses that he was the one who had committed the murders in the name of the political party in which he was working, and used to confess to Sharmila's mother while she cradled her baby to sleep, thus transmitting the stories to Sharmila's subconscious mind. Baby decides to get him arrested as soon as he is discharged from the hospital. As Sharmila had to go for a video conference, Nithin goes with Baby. Sharmila feels sorry for the old Vishwanath, given how much he seemed to repent and how much time had passed, and so helps him leave before the cops were called. Upon hearing that he has escaped, Baby is dissuaded from calling for a search, for the aforementioned reason, as well as the fact that the party could target them too. Nithin having overheard some of the conversation asks who Radhamma (Sharmila's mother) was. He reveals he knew the story about Radhamma's death. Realisation hits Baby and he rushes to Sharmila's house.
In the meantime, Vishwanath shows up at Sharmila's house and reveals to Sharmila that he was the one who killed her mother. As he found out that both she and her son now know the truth, he had to get rid of them. He attempts to kill her. Luckily, Baby reaches in time to save her from being strangled, but Viswanathan accidentally loses his footing at the balcony and falls to his death.
At the end Baby is free from his visions whereas Sharmila has started to hallucinate.
Cast
*
Kunchacko Boban
Kunchacko Boban (born 2 November 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer. Sometimes referred to as Chackochan, he works in the Malayalam film industry and has acted in more than 90 films in more than two decades. He is a member of the List ...
as
Magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
John Baby
*
Nayanthara
Diana Mariam Kurian, known professionally as
Nayanthara, is an Indian actress and film producer who is known for her work in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. She was in the ''Forbes India'' "Celebrity 100" 2018 list, with her total annual ...
as Sharmila
*
Izin Hash as Nitin
*
Divya Prabha
Divya Prabha (born 18 May 1991) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Malayalam and Tamil-language films. She gained wider attention for her roles in the films '' Take Off'' and ''Thamaasha''.
In 2015, she won Kerala State Televisi ...
as Dr. Shalini
*
Lal
Lal ( fa, لعل, hi, लाल, bn, লাল, ur, لال, ps, Lāl) is an Indo-Iranian surname and given name, which means "darling", "precious", or "beloved", from the Sanskrit ''lala'' ("cajoling").''Dictionary of American Family Names''F ...
as Viswanathan
*
Rony David
Dr.Rony David is an Indian actor who appears in Malayalam cinema, mainly in supporting roles. He made his debut in the 2007 film ''Chocolate''. He is also a physician who practiced at KIMS Hospital before foraying into acting. He got a breakthr ...
as Rajan
* Prashant Narayanan as Mathiyas Pandian
*
Saiju Kurup as Ajith Kumar
*
Rajesh Hebbar
K. Rajesh Hebbar (born 18 November 1967) is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Malayalam film and television industry. He was also the lead vocalist of a rock band named Primitive Knights.
Biography
Hebbar was born in an Udupi Brahmi ...
as Dr. Basheer
*
Jolly Chirayath
Chirayath Lona Jolly, better known as Jolly Chirayath is an Indian actress who acts predominantly in Malayalam films. Chirayath made her acting debut with the film Angamaly Diaries directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery
Early and personal life
C ...
as Vathsala
*
Sreelatha Namboothiri
Sreelatha Namboothiri (born Anjilivelil Vasantha) is an Indian actress and playback singer who works in Malayalam cinema and television. She has acted in more than 300 films. ''Khadeeja'' in 1967 was her debut movie.
Early life
Sreelatha was ...
as Lisamma, Baby's Mother
* Siyad Yadu as Kaif
*
Aadhya Prasad as Megha
* Aina as Catherine
*
Vinod Kovoor as Constable Sainudheen
*
Aneesh Gopal
Aneesh Pilathottathil better known as Aneesh Gopal is an Indian actor and graphic designer known for his works primarily in malayalam films. He made his debut with ''Second Show'' in 2012.
Personal life
Aneesh Gopal was born in Cheekkode villag ...
as Police who spies John Baby
* Shersha Sherief as Police Officer Aftab who helps with swamp case
*
Sadiq as Michel
* Renjit Shekar Nair as a
bus conductor
Bus conductors (also referred to as conductors, or clippies) were a common feature of many bus services across Europe until the late 1970s and early 1980s. The main reason two-person crews were needed was that most towns and cities used doubl ...
* Dixon Poduthas as SP
* Hariprashanth as Commissioner
* Remya Suresh as Bhanu
Production
Development
''Nizhal'' is the directorial debut of
Kerala State Film Award winning editor Appu N. Bhattathiri. The film is financed by five producers, Anto Joseph, Abhijith M. Pillai, Badusha, Fellini T. P. and Ginesh Jose. It is through producer Fellini, the director approached Kunchacko Boban. Boban was finalized for his role at the beginning and he suggested Nayanthara to play the female lead.
After reading the script, Nayanthara was impressed and signed the project.
Filming
The
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
of the film began on 19 October 2020 at
Kalamassery following the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
protocols.
The filming continued at various locations of
Ernakulam
Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...
and
Alappuzha districts. The first schedule was completed on 4 December 2020. After wrapping up its
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
schedule, the team headed to
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
for its second schedule and continued filming at
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
and
Hogenakkal.
Release
The film was released on 9 April 2021.
Reception
Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion South wrote "Kunchacko Boban and Nayanthara are in fine form but Nizhal is another example of how stars alone cannot make a movie."
Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split betw ...
gave the film 2 out of 5 writing "There are a few glaring logical holes in the narration that cannot be discussed without spoiling the suspense. The tone of the movie dull as the story fails to live up to the suspense created by the visuals. The script is so weak that it doesn’t demand a lot from the actors. While cinematographer Deepak D. Menon’s frames move around, the characters remain mostly stationary. For some time it adds to the suspense but as the movie progresses, it sort of becomes repetitive. Especially, Nayanthara remains a pretty face on the screen; an expensive cosmetic addition to the cast. She hardly tries to mimic the nightmarish feeling of a single mother, whose boy is trapped in some kind of a mysterious tangle."
Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, t ...
gave the film 3 out of 5 writing "The background score by Sooraj S Kurup is an interesting aspect of this movie. It is fresh and innovative and blends well with the core of the movie. One instance where he uses the boy's words as background score lifts the entire atmosphere. The well-edited movie has some delightful shots by cinematographer Deepak D Menon. Go for it if you are a fan of stories involving mind-games."
Firstpost
''Firstpost'' is an Indian online news and media website. The site is a part of the Network 18 media conglomerate owned by Reliance Industries, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC-TV18.
The ''Network 18'' group was originally owned by Raghav ...
gave the film 2.75 writing "It’s a pity that ''Nizhal''’s unusual premise wrestles with so many scripting flaws because the atmospherics in the narrative are on the ball and the mystery remains engaging till the finale. Oh well…"
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
gave the film a negative review writing "Managing to build up the anticipation and to keep the audience guessing until the time of the scriptwriter’s choosing would mean half the job done in constructing an effective thriller. But much of the other half rests on how potent that final reveal is. Imagine the feeling when you expect a lion to walk out of a cave, after listening to its majestic roars for some time... and you see a mouse crawling out instead! In ‘Nizhal’, in the end, after much anticipation, we get to see something much better than a mouse, but something less than a lion too."
Sify
Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology company providing end-to-end ICT solutions including telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation in ...
gave the film 3/5 writing "''Nizhal'' has its moments for sure but one gets the feeling that it could have been much more with better writing. Having said that, this one is a fine one-time watch."
Free Press Journal
''The Free Press Journal'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper that was established in 1928 by Swaminathan Sadanand, who also acted as its first editor. First produced to complement a news agency, the Free Press of India, it was a su ...
gave the film 3 out of 5 writing "In all, ''Nizhal'' certainly scores due to its fresh and novel plot involving a talented kid, but it doesn’t deliver more than a decent watch that can surely be seen as a promising directorial debut with controlled expectations."
New Indian Express gave the film a negative review writing "There is no doubt about Aneesh’s comic abilities, but his inclusion felt forced. I wasn’t blown away by the final twist either. After the film ended, I asked myself, “That’s it?”
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, 13298992, Nizhal
2020s Malayalam-language films
2021 films
Films scored by Sooraj S. Kurup
Indian mystery thriller films
Films shot in Kochi
Films shot in Alappuzha
Films shot in Bangalore
Films shot in Karnataka