Minnal Murali
Malayalam (Netflix)
Director: Basil Joseph
Cast: Tovino Thomas, Guru Somasundaram, Vasisht Umesh and Aju Varghese
Rating: 3/5
There are heroes, and then there are superheroes, who are born and raised among common men before they turn saviours of people.
'Minnal Murali' tells the tale of Jaison (Tovino Thomas), a tailor, who just wants to migrate to the US, and make a good living. Incidentally, he gets struck by lightning but miraculously survives to gain special powers.
The process where Jaison finds out that he has attained these powers is quite entertaining. Soon enough, he has to face a foe and save the village he stays in.
Moments where his nephew Josemon (Vasisht Umesh) explains the meaning of a 'superhero' are intriguing and tickle the funny bone.
Tovino, who featured in the enjoyable 'Godha' with director Basil Joseph earlier, impresses yet again despite coming up crops in some scenes. Vasisht as an innocent child, is the best accomplice Tovino can get.
Most films like these just show superheroes, but this one stands out, as it also has a super villain, who goes into a full 'Joker'-like mode towards the climax.
Kudos to Basil for a novel attempt and concept. However, the movie drags at certain points and some scenes look exaggerated. The cinematography and visual effects are impressive.
‘Minnal Murali’, with crisp editing, could have made for a good theatrical release. The film could inspire more Indian superhero ventures.