Rekhachithram

Rekhachithram
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jofin T. Chacko
Screenplay by	John Manthrickal Ramu Sunil
Story by	Ramu Sunil
Produced by	Venu Kunnappilly
Starring	Asif Ali Anaswara Rajan Mammootty Manoj K Jayan
Cinematography	Appu Prabhakar
Edited by	Shameer Muhammed
Music by	Mujeeb Majeed
Production companies	Kavya Film Company Ann Mega Media
Distributed by	Kavya Film Company
Release date	9 January 2025 (2025-01-09)
Running time	140 minutes
Country	India
Language	Malayalam
Budget	₹6 crore
Box office	est. ₹45 crore

Rekhachithram (transl. Composite sketch) is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language mystery crime thriller film directed by Jofin T. Chacko, with a screenplay by John Manthrickal and Ramu Sunil. The film was produced by Kavya Film Company and Ann Mega Media. It stars Asif Ali and Anaswara Rajan, with Mammootty, Manoj K. Jayan, Siddique, Jagadish, Sai Kumar, Harisree Ashokan and Indrans in supporting roles.

The film was officially announced on 11 August 2024. Filming was concluded on 15 July 2024. The soundtrack and score were composed by Mujeeb Majeed. It was released theatrically on 9 January 2025. Upon release, it received positive response from audiences.

Plot

In the secluded hills of Malakkappara, Vivek is reinstated as the SHO after being suspended from the police force due to his gambling habits. On taking charge, he is pulled into the suicide case of Rajendran, who had revealed - live on social media - some details about a crime he committed with his associates 40 years ago. The rest of the story follows Vivek as he investigates the disappearance of a young girl from the filming location of the movie Kathodu Kathoram in 1985 unravelling secrets buried for over 40 years.

Cast

• Asif Ali as CI Vivek Gopinath
• Anaswara Rajan as Rekha Pathrose, an Aspiring Actress
• Mammootty as Himself (AI) (Cameo)
• Manoj K. Jayan as Vincent aka Vakkachan
  • Unni Lalu as Young Vakkachan
• Siddique as Rajendran / Rajan
  • Shaheen Siddique as Young Rajan
• Jagadish as Himself (Extended Cameo)
• Sai Kumar as Francis Thadathil
  • Shajeer P. Basheer as Young Francis
• Harisree Ashokan as Gopinath, Vivek's Father
• Indrans as Chandrappan
• Saleema as Pushpam aka Alice
  • Zarin Shihab as Young Pushpam
• Nishanth Sagar as DYSP Mohandas
• Bhama Arun as Vivek's Girlfriend and Journalist
• Megha Thomas as Sister Stephy
• Srikant Murali as Forensic Surgeon Dr. Sajan
• T. G. Ravi as Pallasheri, a Film Tabloid Journalist
  • Sreejith Ravi as Young Pallasheri
• Priyanka Nair as Asha Pathrose, Rekha's Sister
• Nandu as Pathrose, Rekha's Father
• Sudhi Koppa as Sajeevan
• Vijay Menon as Adv. Jacob, Vincent's advocate
• Shaju Sreedhar as Crime Branch CI Salim
• Sanju Sanichen as Vincent's Son
• Anuroop P.
• Jayashankar Karimuttam as Mathai's Son
• Dileep Menon as SP Yasin Iqbal IPS
• Arun Sankaran Pavumba as SI John
• Pauly Valsan as Vincent's Aunt
• Devendranath as Young John Paul
• Kunchacko Boban as Himself (Cameo)
• Kamal as Himself (Extended Cameo)
• John Paul as Himself (Cameo)

Release

Rekhachithram was released theatrically on 9 January 2025.

Reception

Critical response

Rekhachithram received positive reviews from critics and audience alike.

Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave a positive review for the film and gave a rating of 3 out of 5 mentioning "Unlike typical althist films, which reimagine an important, highly influential moment from the past to explore speculative outcomes, Rekhachithram takes an intriguing approach by choosing the production period of a movie, a seemingly less impactful event, as its historical touchpoint and John Manthrickal and Ramu Sunil, who penned the screenplay, handle it well. While this could be seen as playing it safe within the genre, it proves to be a boon for the film, adding a layer of fascination. At the same time, considering the audience’s unfamiliarity with althist as a genre and the risk of viewers mistaking fiction for fact, the writers maintain restraint and push the boundaries only just enough to stay authentic to the movie’s backdrop." Writing for The Hindu, Shilpa Nair Anand praised the direction mentioning,"Jofin T Chacko’s film stirs nostalgia like no other in recent times. It is a cinephile’s love note to Malayalam cinema, perhaps to the movies and technicians who might have kindled his love for cinema. The writing is intelligent, the past and the future organically weave in and out of the narrative. Where it is not and lags a wee bit, it is forgivable for the sheer inventiveness of the movie to tell a story where the past and the present crisscross effortlessly." Princy Alexander of Onmanorama gave a positive review mentioning," 'Rekhachithram' featuring Asif Ali and Anaswara Rajan is an overall experiment, treading on a path that many filmmakers, including veterans, have not dared to do in the past. Many of the ingredients in the film makes do with the same elements used in investigation thrillers like 'Paapan' and 'Ozler', but what it truly differs in is its premise and the film's unique treatment." Cris of The News Minute gave a positive review mentioning,"Director Jofin T Chacko does not try to force nostalgia into the mood, but manages to weave in backstories of known films and artists, creating an alternate reality that rouses the film lover in you." Writing for Cinema Express, Vivek Santhosh praised the direction: "The real masterstroke of Rekhachithram lies in its unique backdrop, just like the filmmaker kept on promising during promotional interviews. The film isn’t just set in the present—it also revisits the making of the 1985 film Kathodu Kathoram, directed by Bharathan and starring Mammootty. By weaving its story around the production of a real film, Rekhachithram does something few Indian films have attempted: it crafts an alternate history, one that feels entirely plausible."

Box office

The film grossed 15.05 crores at Kerala box office in its first 7 days since release.

External links

• Rekhachithram at IMDb