Malayankunju Movie Review: Fahadh Faasil speaks with his eyes and silences. And we listen

Director Sajimon Prabhakar’s Malayankunju is a survival thriller about a man who is stuck in a landslide. With yet another terrific performance from Fahadh Faasil, Malayankunju offers an immersive experience, says our review.

It has almost become a norm for Fahadh Faasil to elevate simple storylines. Put him in any story, he’d come out with flying colours. Ah, not to forget those expressive eyes. His latest outing, Malayankunju, is a survival thriller about a man who is stuck in the debris of a landslide in Idukki, Kerala.

Malayankunju is Fahadh Faasil’s show all the way. Anilkuttan AKA Anil Kumar (played by Fahadh Faasil) is a brooding, casteist and hot-headed electronics technician in Idukki. He is grieving the loss of his father and helps his mom with running the household. He is short-tempered and needs his silence. That explains why he loves waking up and sleeping at odd times. The sound of a crying baby annoys him. Also, it's because the baby belongs to a Dalit couple. When their world turns upside down because of a landslide, it is the same baby that guides him.

Malayankunju is not just a simple story. The first half is dedicated to the people living in and around Anilkuttan’s house. We see hot flashes of Anilkuttan and the empathetic behaviour of his mother. But, there’s more to it. There’s a reason why Anilkuttan behaves in such a way. It also doesn’t take away from the fact that he is openly casteist. However, Malayankunju doesn’t concentrate on the other characters except for Fahadh Faasil. He gets the maximum screen time and we honestly cannot complain.

Towards the intermission, Anilkuttan is trapped in the debris. It is muddy, nasty and feels genuinely claustrophobic. We feel whatever Anilkuttan is feeling. 28-day-old Ponni's wails push him to not give up. Soon, his survival instincts kick in. The rest of Malayankunju is about the struggles he faces as he makes his way up to Ponni.

Here's the trailer of Malayankunju:

Fahadh Faasil is exceptional as a hot-headed man in Malayankunju. This is an understatement. Especially, when he is expressing his agony, anguish and wish to survive, he is phenomenal. Rajisha Vijayan, Indrans, Jaya Kurup and Jaffar Idukki delivered a near-perfect performance in the less screen time they were given.

Malayankunju is technically sound. Apart from crediting Mahesh Narayanan for the writing, he should also be applauded for his cinematography (his debut). Malayankunju is a seriously well-shot film. The lighting or the lack of it works in building the suspense factor. AR Rahman’s music is perfect for the film. When the violins go in full swing, you can’t help but feel for the characters. Since Malayankunju is a film about a man being trapped, more silences could have amplified the effect.