I Am Kathalan

In an era where Malayalam cinema has been consistently pushing boundaries, "I am Kathalan" emerges as a refreshing addition to the genre of techno-thrillers. This film, directed by the talented Girish A. D., offers a unique blend of suspense, romance, and a deep dive into the world of cybercrime. Naslen, the lead actor, delivers a stellar performance as Vishnu, an ordinary young man who finds himself embroiled in an extraordinary situation. Vishnu, a tech-savvy individual with a heart of gold, is portrayed with such authenticity that it's easy to empathize with his struggles and triumphs. His journey from an underachieving college student to a skilled hacker is both inspiring and thrilling.

The material feels apt for two 30-minute episodes of Karikku Fliq than a 1h 45m film. There aren't any highs or lows in the screenplay - just a matter-of-fact presentation of the plot. This makes it realistic from the hacking perspective, but simultaneously less thrilling from a cinematic standpoint. Naslen is once again a jobless youth with pending supplementary exams, but I shouldn't forget that the film was made before Premalu and lying unreleased for a long time. Anishma Anilkumar is okay; I'm not sure if this will open the doors to many future roles (2020s Sathyan Anthikad is probably taking notes). The rest of the cast (consisting of Dileesh Pothan, Lijomol Jose) is fairly decent. Also, to call this a techno-thriller-comedy would be a stretch. There are a few chuckle-worthy moments here and there, but the core remains the hacking bits. At least, Girish AD depicted it believably, subverting several cliches associated with hackers (both blackhat and ethical) while doing so. The music and cinematography are serviceable.

I am Kathalan

A small fun to watch entertainer set on the backdrop of a potential hacking threat to a corporate entity.

The plot of the story revolves around a young hapless guy who sets out to take a small revenge over a personal ego hurt he underwent.

Good story narration by Girish through Sajin's debut writing and has provided the casts with platform for performing through their vivid mannerisms and light humour moments.

Naslen has effortlessly performed the character role portraying the frustration and emotions of a failed job aspirant. Impressive performances by Dileesh Pothen,Lijomol,Anishma & Vineeth Vasudevan. Vineeth Vishwam,ZhinzShan,Kiran Josey & Arshad Ali made notable performances.

Kudos to Akash Joseph Varghese for giving a crisp and short fun to watch entertainer.

A decent attempt by Girish & team that gives a laid back experience to the viewers.

Rating - 3.25/5.

Have watched this movie on my trip to india, It is available in prime video in india but not in UAE. But anyways, solid film. It should have a better ending though... anyone who likes tech and those stuff will definitely like this film but whereas none techies.... NO, but maybe, guess we'll never know...

EXTRA: No need to read below

I don't know why but it says that this review is too, short but I countainted as much info possible, the thing is, I don't like to leave long reviews so this is just an extra, do not care about this ting, like literally, why 600, 300 is more than enough so I'm just typing this thing lol.

This movie didn't get that much screening time in the theatre like 'Premalu' and was a box-office failure but I did enjoy this one and once again Girish has done a good job in executing a good flick.

I couldn't find a reason why this film failed in the box office. Many people who watched the film were saying that the actress was a miscast but I don't agree with that view. Anishma has indeed delivered a fine and natural performance.

The director also went for a unique ending and I always admire this part of Girish's direction. Many positive comments were also seen from the audience for accurately portraying the IT aspects in the film. Overall a great watch.