Minnal Murali stars Tovino Thomas, Guru Somasundaram, Vasisht Umesh, Aju Varghese, Femina George, Harisree Ashokan, Mammukoya, Baiju Santhosh, P. Balachandran and Shelly Kishore. The film is directed by Basil Joseph and written by Arun Anirudhan and Justin Mathew. The cinematography is by Sameer Thahir. Sushin Shyam has composed the background score and also the music along with Sushin Shyam. The film is at least 148 minutes long.

The synopsis reads, “Set in the 90s, Minnal Murali, is an origin story of Jaison, an ordinary man-turned-superhero (Murali), who is struck by a bolt of lightning, which bestows him with special powers. However, he soon realises that he is not the only one with these superpowers in his village.”

Netflix Film Minnal Murali Review Contains No Spoilers

Jaison (Tovino Thomas), a tailor who desires to live the American dream, is the hero of Minnal Murali. He wishes to shift to the US, but the universe has other plans for him. Jaison is struck by lightning one night. Instead of dropping dead, Jaison obtains superhuman powers.

In those 148 minutes, we see Jaison come to terms with his skills and how he uses them to benefit others. A common man transforms into a friendly neighbourhood superhero, overcoming obstacles in his personal life and saving the entire village. But it isn’t just Jaison who has been given such powers. So, who is the other person and are they good too? We find out everything by the end.

The superhero genre is quite vast worldwide as there are so many comics and movies based on the same. There are already Marvel and DC cinematic universes in Hollywood. However, in India, the genre has yet to be fully explored. We’ve had Shaktimaan (TV Show), Krrish, and G. One in India. It’s now time to make space for Minnal Murali, a new Malayalam superhero.

Minnal Murali writers Arun and Justin show us what might happen when a person is unexpectedly bestowed superpowers. It isn’t always a pleasant experience. Initially, Jaison experiences pain and confusion. We watch as he comes to terms with the changes he’s going through, as well as his struggles, training, and the process of grasping and mastering the powers. It’s captivating and exciting to watch and the addition of humour works like a charm.

Basil Joseph’s film is full of love and yearning, in addition to the superhero theme. It’s an intense and emotional journey for Jaison and another character/s. Despite the powers, Joseph constantly reminds us that our superhero is a human being with deep emotions and difficulties. The film’s emotive and dramatic approach works in its favour. In fact, it’s also in these moments that the writing, execution, and acting really shine.

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Action/fight sequences are necessary for a superhero drama. Sameer Thahir has neatly captured these scenes in Netflix’s Minnal Murali. Jaison dons the mask for the first time and beats the hell out of some cops in a particular scene. The camera movement and lighting in that sequence are outstanding. Everything happens so fast, but Thahir’s camera doesn’t shake even a bit.

Sushin Shyam and Shaan Rahman have composed the music for Minnal Murali. The songs are heart-warming, upbeat and refreshing. I’ve picked my most favourite tracks from the album – Uyire and Thee Minnal. The picturisation of Uriye is very beautiful.

Coming to performances, Tovino Thomas is an absolute delight to watch as a messed up Jaison aka Minnal Murali. He doesn’t need a muscular build or electrifying eyes to convince us that he’s a superhero. Whether it’s a sad or dramatic scene, funny or action sequence, Tovino has delivered his best. Guru Somasundaram’s portrayal of Selvan is remarkable. The actor has a lot to emote on screen and he’s done a great job.

Jaison’s nephew Josemon is played well by child actor Vasisht Umesh. He has the most comical scenes that will make you laugh a lot. The rest of the cast does an excellent job as well. It’s nice to see that each member of the ensemble cast contributes something significant to the narrative.

Netflix’s Minnal Murali Review: Final Thoughts

Overall, Minnal Murali is deserving to be watched. It makes you smile, laughs, cry, and entertains you throughout. It’s interesting to see how the man with American dreams gets to live the dream of most Americans of becoming a superhero. It’s an endearing and enjoyable film, albeit a little long. However, because this is not a comic book story, it was important to go into great detail.

The film will stream on Netflix from December 24.

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