Sookshmadarshini
| Sookshmadarshini | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Release Poster | |
| Directed by | M. C. Jithin |
| Screenplay by | Athul Ramachandran Libin T. B. |
| Produced by | A. V. Anoop Shyju Khalid Sameer Thahir |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sharan Velayudhan Nair |
| Edited by | Chaman Chakko |
| Music by | Christo Xavier |
Production companies | AVA Productions Happy Hours Entertainments |
| Distributed by | Bhavana Release |
Release date |
|
Running time | 147 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Box office | est. ₹55 crores[1] |
Sookshmadarshini (transl. Microscope) is a 2024 Indian Malayalam-language black comedy mystery thriller film directed by M. C. Jithin, written by Libin T.B & Athul Ramachandran. Produced by Happy Hours Entertainments and AVA Productions, it stars Nazriya Nazim and Basil Joseph. The film marks Nazriya's return to Mollywood after a four year hiatus.[2]
Sookshmadarshini was released in theatres on 22 November 2024, to positive reviews from critics and emerged as one of the highest grossing Malayalam films of all time at the box office.[3][4]
Plot
[edit]Priyadarshini “Priya” is a homemaker living with her husband Anthony and their daughter Kani in a close-knit neighborhood. While actively seeking employment, Priya secures a second-stage interview at a company, along with her neighbor and friend, Stephy, a single mother. Around the same time, Manuel, the new owner of Grace Bakers, moves into the neighborhood with his elderly mother, Grace. Though he initially charms the locals, Priya grows suspicious of Manuel due to his eccentric behavior and unconventional methods of dealing with situations—most notably when he hosts a house party, kills a monitor lizard, and serves its meat to the guests under the guise of beef. Grace, meanwhile, remains reclusive, rarely interacting with anyone and staying confined to her home.
During Priya's and Anthony’s wedding anniversary celebration with the neighbors, Manuel deliberately leaves an iron box on, causing a fire in their house. Although the fire is extinguished in time, Grace goes missing amidst the chaos. She is eventually found near a railway station, but Priya’s suspicions about Manuel deepen.Manuel tells everyone that Grace has Alzheimer's, a claim that Priya finds dubious since Grace efficiently carries out her daily tasks. Stephy grows close to Manuel and takes a day off to stay with Grace while he is at work. Before leaving, Manuel gives Stephy sedative-laced mango juice for Grace, supplied by his cousin, Dr. John. Priya drops by to visit Grace, but Grace remains uncommunicative. Later, everyone drinks the juice, causing Stephy to fall asleep, while Grace is covertly taken away by Manuel’s uncle, Roy. The next day, Manuel pretends his mother has gone missing again, further raising Priya’s concerns.
Diana, Manuel’s sister, flies in from New Zealand to assist with the police investigation into Grace’s disappearance. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Diana plans to leave but provides her contact information to Priya after repeated requests. Determined to uncover the truth, Priya enlists the help of her neighbors Sulu and Asma to investigate Manuel’s house. During their search, Sulu discovers a freshly painted wall with a crimson damp patch from the sewer system. Before they can investigate further, John arrives and starts pouring acid into the toilet, presumably disposing of Grace’s remains. The group retreats, but Priya grows more determined.
When Priya tries to contact Diana again, it is revealed that Manuel has Diana’s phone and has been impersonating her in messages. Investigating further, Priya learns that Diana is a lesbian and was in a relationship with Aditi, a Tamil woman in New Zealand. Diana had been planning to adopt a child with Aditi before her untimely disappearance. On the day of her job interview, Priya contacts Aditi, who has arrived in Kerala searching for Diana. However, Aditi is captured by Manuel, who chloroforms her.
Priya eventually uncovers the horrific truth: Manuel's family, seeking to avoid the "shame" of Diana's sexuality, carried out an honor killing and disposed of her body by dissolving it in acid and Grace was the mastermind behind the entire plan. They now plan to kill Aditi to eliminate any further complications. Priya tracks them to their hideout at a new bakery site, where she crashes her car into the building, subduing Manuel and John and rescues Aditi. The police arrest Manuel, Grace, Roy, and John for their crimes, while Priya is hailed as a hero for her bravery and determination.
Cast
[edit]- Nazriya Nazim as Priyadarshini "Priya" Antony
- Basil Joseph as Manuel
- Akhila Bhargavan as Sulu, Priya's friend and neighbour
- Merin Philip as Stephy, Priya's friend and Manuel's love interest
- Pooja Mohanraj as Asma, Priya's friend and neighbour
- Siddharth Bharathan as Dr. John, Manuel's cousin, a neurosurgeon
- Deepak Parambol as Antony, Priya's husband
- Kottayam Ramesh as Roy, Manuel's uncle
- Manohari Joy as Gracy, Manuel's mother
- Abhiram Radhakrishnan as a finance manager
- Hezzah Mehak as Kani Antony, Priya's daughter
- Aparna Ram as Diana, Manuel's sister
- Saraswathi Menon as Aditi Thiagarajan
- Gopan Mangattu as Krishnettan
- Jaya Kurup as Sarojini
- Rini Udayakumar as Cicily
- James as Thomas
- Noushad Ali as Ajmal
- AV Anoop as Managing Director
- Athira Rajeev as Mridula
- Sajeevan as CI of Police
- Sajeed as SI
- Binni Rinki as Jesna
- Nandan Unni as Broker Prasad
- Jossy Sijo as CPO
- Fr.Saji as Priest
- Ajmal Shah as Kapyar
- Dhyan Diva as Stephy Son
Production
[edit]Happy Hours Entertainments and AVA Productions announced the film in May 2024, with Nazriya Nazim and Basil Joseph as the leads.[5] The film marks Nazriya's return to Malayalam films after four years who last appeared in Trance (2020).[6] Later, Akhila Bhargavan, Merin Philp, Pooja Mohanraj, Deepak Parambol, Siddharth Bharathan and Kottayam Ramesh were cast in other prominent roles.[7] Principal photography for the film begin in May 2024 and the film was shot across Kerala.[8] In August 2024, the filming was wrapped up.[9][10]
Soundtrack
[edit]The music for the film was composed by Christo Xavier.[11] The film has only 2 songs where one track which is used as a promotional song.[12][13]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dhurooha Manthahasame" | Mu. Ri | Ahi Ajayan | 2:54 |
| 2. | "Priya Lokame" | Vinayak Sasikumar | Sooraj Santhosh | 3:05 |
Release
[edit]The trailer of Sookshmadarshini was released on 16 November 2024.[14] The film was released in theatres on 22 November 2024.[15]
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]On the opening day of its release, the film grossed ₹1.55 crore worldwide. Following more occupancy, Sookshmadarshini grossed over ₹15 crore in its first weekend.[16] By the end of the second weekend, it collected over ₹25 crore in India and over ₹44 crore worldwide.[17]
Critical reception
[edit]Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave the film 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "From the outset, Sookshmadarshini expertly balances mystery and comedy, ensuring that neither overshadows the other, creating a harmonious blend that engages audiences throughout."[18] S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote, "The film is a cleverly written thriller that turns what could easily have been a run-of-the-mill film into an elevating experience. It becomes yet another addition to Malayalam cinema’s unrelenting run this year, both in quality and variety."[19]
Cris of The News Minute wrote, "MC Jithin directed a smartly-written script, putting Nazriya and Basil Joseph in the thick of it, and pulling off one helluva thriller with Sookshmadarshini."[20] Vignesh Madhu of Cinema Express wrote, "Backed by brilliant writing and clever casting choices, MC crafts Sookshmadarshini as a thoroughly engaging experience. What stands out is the refreshing treatment that doesn't conform to the genre formulas."[21]
References
[edit]- ^ "Sookshmadarshini Global Box Office Closing". Pinkvilla. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "Nazriya Nazim and Basil Joseph's Malayalam film Sookshmadarshini goes on floors". News18 India. 30 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "South Movies Releasing This Week: Vishwak Sen starrer Mechanic Rocky to Nazriya Nazim Fahadh, Basil Joseph's Sookshmadarshini". Pinkvilla. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Ent Top Stories: Audience review Malayalam film Sookshmadarshini". Mid Day. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
- ^ "Basil Joseph and Nazriya Nazim to headline Sookshmadarshini". Cinema Express. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ "Sookshmadarshini: Nazriya Nazim's comeback Malayalam film, also starring Basil Joseph, goes on floors". The Hindu. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ "Nazriya Nazim's comeback flick 'Sookshmadarshini' shoot begins with ensemble cast". Mathrubhumi English. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Makers of Basil Joseph and Nazriya Nazim's Sookshmadarshini share the switch-on ceremony video". Cinema Express. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ "It's a wrap for Basil Joseph and Nazriya Nazim's Sookshmadarshini". Cinema Express. 2 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ "Sookshmadarshini: Makers release motion poster of Nazriya Nazim-Basil Joseph film". The Hindu. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ "Promo music video 'Dhurooha Manthahasame' from Sookshmadarshini out". Cinema Express. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ "Watch: High Energy First Single From Basil Joseph-Nazriya's Sookshmadarshini is Out!". Times Now. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ Features, C. E. (4 December 2024). "'Priya Lokame' song from Sookshmadarshini out". Cinema Express. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ "Sookshmadarshini trailer: Basil Joseph and Nazriya Nazim must beware of their neighbours". The Indian Express. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "Sookshmadarshini: Nazriya, Basil Joseph's film to release on November 22". India Today. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Sookshmadarshini' box office collections day 1: This mystery film mints Rs 1.55 crores". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ "Sookshmadarshini Box Office Collections: Basil Joseph, Naziya Nazim's mystery thriller continues scoring big, inches closer to Rs 25 crore mark". Pinkvilla. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ "Sookshmadarshini movie review: Basil Joseph, Nazriya Nazim deliver a suspenseful and hilarious mystery comedy". The Indian Express. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ "Sookshmadarshini movie review: Nazriya Nazim, Basil Joseph headline a cleverly written thriller that delivers a satisfying high". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ "Sookshmadarshini review: Nazriya-Basil film is a fun, smartly written thriller". The News Minute. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ "Sookshmadarshini Movie Review: Intelligent writing and clever casting choices elevate this mystery thriller". Cinema Express. Retrieved 22 November 2024.