ARM ( Ajayante Randam Moshannam ) - Malayalam Movie

Malayalam Movie industry has been relentlessly churning out some fantastic movies, one after the other. So much so, that I actually have missed out watching a few good ones that released late last year on the OTT platforms. One such gem is ARM ( Ajayente Randam Moshanam) or Ajayan's second theft. 

A mix of historical folklore, fantasy adventure and an impossible heist, all rolled into one - this one's Tovino Thomas' magnum opus post-covid big screen release from late 2024 ( He plays a triple role in this, three characters across three generations!) directed by Jithin Laal (in only his first ever big outing as a director) ably bringing to life a surreal story penned by Sujith Nambiar. It truly deserves all the accolades and the money it has made and I only wish more people would get acquainted with this fantastic period action movie, laid with overtones of fantasy firmly rooted in folklore. Being a big fantasy nerd and a fan of anything mythological, this movie was an absolute delight

The narrative spans across years, starting off sometime in 1900's with the warrior Kunjikelu winning the King's favor for having saved his son-in-law from fearsome pirates. And in return, the warrior asks for the fabled lamp - Chothi-vilakku - made of star-stones from a meteor crash and other mysterious metals that lends it power over all the five elements. We switch over to 1990 where we meet Ajayan, who belongs to the same lineage as the fearsome Kunjikelu, but is an ordinary electrician and a Ham radio enthusiast who is using the radio to surreptitiously woo his love-interest, Lekshmi, who belongs to a higher caste. Ajayan however, is hard-pressed to throw off the humiliating tag of being a "thief's grandson" cast on him by the cruel villagers, who don't pass up any opportunity to remind him that his grandfather, Maniyan, was the one who had tried to steal the temple lamp once and was caught. We switch back and forth between the story of Maniyan, the infamous thief and the hapless Ajayan, desperately trying to win over his love-interest, fighting not just the yokes of casteism, but also his own mother's affront and humiliation meted out by the same villagers. Meanwhile, Ajayan gets tricked into a controversial situation by this visitor, a relative to the Nambiar household, who in reality wants to grab the fabled lamp for himself. How does Ajayan redeem himself and get out of this pickle, forms the rest of the story. 

Jithin's story is ripe with possibilities for excellent world building. And he does so with gusto. Especially the folklore and the heist elements of it, where Maniyan and his accomplice, the wily blacksmith, try to steal the lamp for themselves. The action set pieces are extravagant and mind blowing in its execution. For a movie made on a budget of mere thirty crores, the VFX and the cinematography immersing us viewers into the fantastical lore is commendable. The movie depicts the cruelty and apathy of caste violence but the story is constantly buoyed up by humorous digs and fabulous songs, steeped in folk music. 

The entire movie belongs to Tovino and he chews up the screen like a king, showcasing his acting range. I thought he was phenomenal. Ably bringing out the nuances and differences across all three different characters. But it's in the feral intensity of "Maniyan", the thief who wants to stick it back to the egomaniacal villagers, steeped in their casteist attitude towards him and his wife, that Tovino truly shines. The other characters aren't so well developed though. Including the character of super talented Basil Joseph, whom I thought was a tad bit under utilized. The women characters too aren't spared, despite this also being a "love-story", we don't really see much scope in the way these characters have been written. Krithi Shetty playing Lekshmi has precious little to do, other than look sweet. Among all, Surabhi Lakshmi's character has the maximum agency and intent and she takes this up well enough (Still pales in comparison to the intensity that Tovino brings to screen)

I have been tripping on the songs, the music by Dhibu Ninan Thomas being a revelation and a crucial crutch to bring out the overall story. So is Jomon T John's cinematography. Overall, a very competent effort in bringing a new genre - like the old Indiana Jones/ Tomb Raider kinda movies - to the Indian/Malayali audiences. ARM is one of my favorite movies from the recent past, unpacking folklore, mythology and magic into one rollicking adventure. One for the ages, for sure. Highly recommended!