Overview
- Tovino Thomas’s period action drama, which hit theaters for the Vishu festival, drew packed shows with fans opting for 70 mm screenings.
- Viewers on X praised Thomas’s intense turn, called the film a mass entertainer, and singled out a surprise cameo and punchy action.
- Critics were more reserved, with Pinkvilla giving 2.5 out of 5 for weak writing, subpar cinematography, and messy final-act editing, while Rediff lauded the period detail but found the storytelling generic.
- The film is set in 1958 Kerala and tracks a village church that enlists a Pallichattambi—a tough protector figure—to push back against government pressure.
- Music by Jakes Bejoy earned steady plaudits for lifting the theatre experience, a factor that often helps festival-timed Malayalam releases draw strong early footfall.