Producer:Maniyan Pilla Raju, Ajaychandran Nair, Raghuchandran Nair
Director: Santhosh Sivan
Cast: Prithviraj, Kavya Madhavan, Biju Menon, Kalabhavan Mani, Nedumudi Venu, Manoj K Jayan, Maniyanpilla Raju, Cochin Haneefa, Riya Sen
Music: M G Radhakrishnan

Santhosh Sivan is doing his bit to divert from the usual commercial films with big heroes and ample mass elements. ‘Ananthabhadram’ is a supernatural thriller that could chill your spines and raise your hair. It has lots of special effects that are rarely seen in Malayalam films. The film is indeed a loyal adaptation of Sunil Parameswaran’s story with the same title.

Ananthan (Pitiviraj) comes to his ancestral hometown Sivapuram from the US. He returns to his village just to fulfill his mother’s (Revathy) last wish of lighting the lamps at their family temple sivakavu. Digambaran (Manoj K.Jayan) is a black magician and practices witchcraft. He is ready to do anything to get the nagamickyam to become more powerful.

No one dares to challenge this evil man except Chemban (Kalabhavan Mani), a native martial arts expert. This invites the wrath of the black magician. He blinds him and uses his sister Bhama (Riya Sen) to carry out evil deeds and also tries to possess her through transmigration. The rest of the film is on how Ananthan, his cousin and lover Bhadra (Kavya) dismantle the evil plans of Digambaran.

Sivan and his scriptwriter deserve accolades for showcasing the rich culture, tradition and folklore of Kerala. All the lead actors Kalabhavan Mani, Pritiviraj, Kavya and Riya Sen did a good job but Manoj.K.Jayan’s stunning performance deserves special mention. His expressive eye movements and body language are commendable. M.G.Radhakrishnan’s music is another highlight of the film. The authentic sets by art director Sunil and Sivan’s camera works added beauty to the film. On the flipside, the film is a bit slow at the end and it would be hard for the ordinary viewers to understand the film. But on the whole, the film is a nice fantasy thriller. It ends with a frightening note, giving enough room for another sequel. Watching the film at night would be really interesting.